Outline🛣️
Short & Sweet Intro🧁
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD is a condition where acid that is typically supposed to stay in the stomach, goes up into the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
Symptoms
This is what causes one to feel several symptoms such as:
Heartburn or burning sensation
Chest pain
Difficulty swallowing
Regurgitation of food or sour liquid
Causes of GERD
Now you may be wondering 🤔, what causes it?
Acid reflux, as mentioned by the Cleveland clinic, is when the lower esophageal sphincter or valve is relaxed or weakened. Ideally, this muscle should be closed in order to prevent stomach acid from rising up. The stomach acid consists of hydrochloric acid that is ideal for breaking down food, but when it rises back up, other parts of the body such as the chest which causes one to feel that burning sensation and rise of symptoms.
These symptoms can feel quite unpleasant and cause a lot of discomfort and it is advised to visit a medical professional to check it out.
✨Diagnosis ✨
When going to a doctor’s visit, one can expect the following:
Endoscopy which is when the doctor will insert a tube connected to a camera that will allow close inspection to the esophagus and visually see if these places are inflamed.
Ambulatory acid or pH probe test: A method that utilizes placing a monitor to the esophagus, and with the use of a computer, can detect the frequency of stomach acid in the esophagus.
Esophageal manometry: According to the Mayoclinic, this is a method of diagnosis that measures how often there is muscle contraction in the esophagus when swallowing.
X-ray: Is focused primarily on the digestive system where one consumes a liquid that allows a doctor to see the esophagus and stomach.
Treatments🔥
There are also several approaches to treatment for this condition.
There are over the counter and prescribed medications.
Some OTCs:
Rolaids and Tums: Reduce stomach acidity
Tagamet HB and Nizatadine: Reduce acid production
Omeprzole: Block acid production
Note: These medications will not completely heal any inflammation of esophagus but it helps in leveling out the normal pH that the body should have in the body.
Prescribed medications
H-2 receptor: Prevent acid production which allows esophagus tissue in healing.
Note: There are more side-effects with prescribed medications since there can be a possibility of deficiency in Vitamin B-12.
In severe cases, there can be the consideration of surgery. For instance, there may be a LINX device implemented where there is a ring of tiny megantetics beads wrapped around the esophagus.
How LINX device works?
The attraction between the magnetic beads is strong to prevent acid reflux as it keeps the muscle strong, but it is also weak to still allow the passing of food as mentioned by the MayoClinic.
Controversial side
There is some controversy on prescribed medication for this condition because of the proton pump inhibitors. Specifically, when there is a dependency or overuse of these medications, there is a risk of developing a lot of side effects. Some include how disruption in acid production can reduce the absorption of calcium which can weaken bones with time.
Therefore, it is important to consider that if one has occasional acid reflux, over the counter medication is the best approach since it works in a short time period and can make one feel better. In addition, to avoid it from happening, one should make sure to chew their food well and not too fast.
Present Research
Furthermore, there has been some research on the relationship in probiotics helping in easing the symptoms of acid reflux.
For background, probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial and helpful to one’s health, and spend most of their time on the human’s digestive system. According to the NCBI, there was a study done on adults with GERD with no medication, and how probiotics would affect their symptoms.
The results of this study indicated that bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, were helpful in relaxing lower esophageal sphincter which can reduce symptoms of GERD. Probiotics will speed up the gastric emptying by interacting with muscle receptors.
Sources
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20361959
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