Esophageal reflux symptoms .. Can they be completely eliminated?

GERD is a digestive disorder that affects both young and old, and can be treated with either medication or lifestyle changes.

• GERD is a disorder of the digestive system

What is GERD?

GERD is a digestive disorder that affects the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter. It occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows into the esophagus, where this reflux can irritate the lining of the esophagus.

Some people have mild acid reflux that occurs at least twice a week, or moderate to severe acid reflux that occurs at least once a week.

• The difference between a stomach suffering from GERD and a healthy one

What are the causes of GERD?

A ring of muscle, called the lower esophageal sphincter, opens to allow food to enter your stomach. If you suffer from a disease GERDThis muscle does not close completely after food passes through it. The muscles remain loose, which means food and fluids can flow back into your throat.

Some doctors believe that a hernia The diaphragm (the muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest) It might weaken the sphincter muscle and increase your chances of developing GERD. A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach moves up the chest through a small opening in the diaphragm.

In the same vein, coughing, vomiting, straining or sudden physical exertion can raise the pressure in your abdomen and lead to a hernia of this hiatus.

Risk factors that trigger gastroesophageal reflux disease

There are many triggers that may increase the risk of developing .GERDthey include:

Eating large meals or eating late at night, as the extra pressure on the stomach area causes the lower esophageal sphincter to not work properly.
Bulging of the upper part of the stomach up to the diaphragm (hiatal hernia)
Connective tissue disorders, such as scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis
delayed gastric emptying
obesity
smoking
Drinking some drinks such as alcohol or coffee
Take certain medications, such as aspirin

What are the symptoms of GERD?

pain in chest

Usually after eating, you feel a burning sensation in the middle of the chest or upper stomach, which is worse at night. It also feels like it’s just under the skin, and it may seem like it’s going from the stomach to the throat rather than the left arm. Chest pain, also called heartburn, can be so severe that people sometimes wonder if they are having a heart attack.

• Chest pain is a symptom of GERD

tooth damage

For some people, the first symptom of GERD may be tooth enamel damage. If stomach acid returns to the mouth too often, it can erode the surface of the teeth.

Difficulty swallowing

It is also possible to have laryngopharyngeal reflux rather than GERD or both. In this case, symptoms include the throat and larynx, voice and nasal passages.

• You may have difficulty swallowing due to GERD

bad taste

You may have a bitter or sour taste in your mouth, because food or stomach acid may go up the esophagus and into the back of the throat.

If you have nocturnal reflux, you may also experience a chronic cough, laryngitis, new or painful asthma and disrupted sleep.

What are the symptoms of GERD in children?

• GERD can be very uncomfortable for your child

Healthy babies can have acid reflux naturally several times a day, and most outgrow it by the time they are 18 months old. A change in how much, how often or how strongly your baby is spitting up may indicate a problem, especially when he is over 24 months old.

Symptoms of GERD in children may include:

Coughing, choking or vomiting, when stomach contents come back up
Difficulty breathing or frequent lung infections, if the reflux goes into the windpipe
Discomfort during or immediately after eating
cramping or periods of crying lasting more than three hours a day
Waking up during sleep

GERD treatment

The American College of Gastroenterology recommends seeing a doctor if you use over-the-counter medications more than twice a week to help treat symptoms of the disorder. Also, if you start vomiting larger amounts, especially if you’re vomiting liquid that is green, yellow, bloody, or has small black specks.

The treatment of GERD completely depends on the main cause of the injury, which is why it is important Gastroscopy procedure by doctor. He or she may prescribe stomach-specific antacids that provide quick relief. But these antibiotics alone will not heal an inflamed esophagus damaged by acidity. In addition, its excessive use can cause some side effects, such as diarrhea or sometimes kidney problems.

• Medication for acid reflux

He or she may also prescribe H2 blockers that reduce acid production. However, they do not work as quickly as antacids, but provide longer relief and may reduce stomach acid production for up to 12 hours.

In the same vein, proton pump inhibitors can prevent acid production and heal the esophagus, are more powerful than H-2 receptor blockers and allow time for damaged esophageal tissue to heal. Although these medications are generally well tolerated, they may cause diarrhea, headache, nausea and vitamin B12 deficiency.

If medications don’t help or you want to avoid long-term use, your doctor may recommend surgery. Fundoplication, in which the surgeon wraps the upper part of your stomach around the lower esophageal sphincter partially or completely, in order to tighten the muscles and prevent GERD. Fundoplication is usually performed through a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure.

You may have a LINX implant, in which a ring of tiny magnetic beads are wrapped around the junction of your stomach and esophagus. The magnetic attraction between the grains is strong enough to keep the junction closed to reflux acid, but weak enough to allow food to pass through. The LINX can be implanted using minimally invasive surgery.

Methods for relieving GERD symptoms

Most people can control the discomfort caused by GERD Through lifestyle changes that your doctor may also recommend.

Food and weight management

• Losing weight is one of the most important steps to avoiding GERD symptoms

When the stomach is too full, there can be more reflux into the esophagus. So Eat smaller meals and stop eating before bed Direct, where you can eat within 3 hours before bed. Also avoid some foods and drinks that cause this disorder, such as spicy and fatty foods, citrus fruits and their juices, coffee, chocolate, sources of caffeine, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

In the same vein, obesity leads to a weakening of the muscle structure that supports the lower esophageal sphincter, reducing the pressure that keeps the sphincter closed. This leads to reflux and acidity of the stomach, so try to lose weight.

Quit Smoking

One study found that quitting smoking not only improved people’s acid reflux episodes, but also improved their overall quality of life.

• Quitting smoking may improve reflux symptoms

Avoid strenuous exercise

Don’t move too quickly and avoid strenuous exercise for a few hours after eating, especially if it involves reflux-inducing bending.

sleeping on a slope

Sleeping on an incline may be beneficial for you. You can try using a foam support for your upper body, so that your head is six or eight inches higher than your feet.

• You can use a set of pillows to improve your sleeping position

Medicines check

Some medications can relax the sphincter muscle. Including postmenopausal estrogens, tricyclic antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Others can irritate the esophagus, particularly bisphosphonates such as alendronate, ibandronate, or risedronate, which are taken to increase bone density.

What complications can GERD cause?

Exposing the esophagus to the strong acidity of your stomach leads to its inflammation. You can also develop reflux laryngitis, a voice disorder. In addition, abnormal cells can grow in the esophagus, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which in rare cases can lead to cancer.

You may experience narrowed esophageal annuluses, which are rings or folds of abnormal tissue that form in the lower lining of the esophagus. These bands of tissue may narrow the esophagus and cause difficulty swallowing.

Psychological effect on gastroesophageal reflux disease

• Stress may worsen GERD symptoms

There is a general perception that stress causes or strengthens symptoms similar to GERD. In light of this, an increasing number of studies have been conducted since the end of the seventies to determine whether psychological factors play a role in the development of GERD. Some have reported that up to 60% of patients with reflux exacerbate their symptoms during times of stress. Also, patients who complain of Stress related to activities of daily living Affects their reflux symptoms without objective documentation of increased reflux.

In the 1920s, the first tests were performed for changes in esophageal motility as a result of laboratory stress. Rubin and colleagues found that esophageal retraction can occur in five healthy individuals through stressful questions. Young and colleagues also found a short-term rise in lower esophageal sphincter pressure, followed by relaxation and changes in esophageal motility under conditions of physiological and cognitive stress.

In contrast, Bradley and four colleagues found no links between distinct experimental stressors and objective measures of GERD. Although other physiological parameters, such as heart rate and blood pressure, increased significantly, they acted as a control for the stressful nature of the test.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and shortness of breath

• GERD in asthmatics causes shortness of breath

Reflux disease alone can cause shortness of breath, but it often coincides with asthma. On the one hand, the Cleveland Clinic estimates that more than three-quarters of people with asthma also have reflux, being twice as likely to have it. Also, people with acute and chronic forms of treatment-resistant asthma are more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease.

On the other hand, a review of 28 studies published in the December 2007 issue of “Gut” found that GERD symptoms were present in 59% of asthmatics. Reflux isn’t thought to actually cause asthma, but it can exacerbate it in a number of ways.

Although research has shown an association between asthma and GERD, the exact link between the two conditions is uncertain. One possibility is that the influx of acid causes the airways to constrict, resulting in shortness of breath. Also, it can trigger an asthma attack in those who already suffer from it. Treating an esophageal disorder often helps improve asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath.

GERD and sore throat

• GERD and sore throat

Sore throats can occur if you have GERD and stomach acid reaches the back of your throat or nasal airway. This condition is often referred to as laryngopharyngeal reflux or silent reflux, because it does not always present symptoms that people easily recognize.

Symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux may include:

Hoarseness
Feeling of swelling in the throat
Chronic cough or cough that wakes you from sleep
suffocation episodes
Roughness in the throat

for symptom control andSore throat treatmentYou can have a warm drink with honey added to it or gargle with salt water to relieve irritation. If you don’t find relief with lifestyle changes, you can talk to your health care provider about prescription drug options.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment with honey

• You can treat GERD with honey

An article published by the Indian Journal of Medical Research points out the many major benefits of honey in treating symptoms GERD. It acts as an antioxidant, reducing esophageal inflammation and scavenging free radicals that may damage cells lining the digestive system and cause partial reflux. In addition, the texture of honey allows to better cover the esophageal mucosa, which contributes to long-term relief.

In a clinical review published in the British Medical Journal, researchers suggested that honey’s viscous nature may help keep acids low. One member saw relief from heartburn symptoms after consuming about a teaspoon of regular honey.

It must be noted that the treatment with honey depends on the person himself. In some cases, its acidic nature may exacerbate the problem while in other cases its beneficial properties may improve the situation.

Contraindications to the treatment of GERD with honey

If you suffer from diabetes or low blood levels, ask your doctor before trying honey because it can lead to high sugar levels
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should ask your doctor before consuming honey
If your child is younger than 12 months, honey should not be given to him
If you are allergic to honey, you should not try honey for GERD
If you notice any unusual side effects, you should discontinue use and seek medical attention

GERD may have many causes and treatment methods, but it is not classified as a serious disease. However, it is important to pay attention to its symptoms and not neglect them so that they do not develop into serious complications and hinder you from completing your daily activities.