Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Ms. Le is a 25 year-old female, with a height of 5’0” and weights 160 lbs. She described herself as not very active who does not regularly exercise and consumes a high amount of fast food and a few alcoholic beverages weekly. She is currently taking prescription medication called Caziant as a contraceptive and moderately takes ibuprofen for headaches and heartburns. She has a medical history of vomiting, heartburn, chest pains, and sever tooth erosion. Due to the many examinations that Ms. Le underwent such as the endoscopy and ph-monitoring test, she was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease also known as GERD.

GERD is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter. When the lower esophageal sphincter gets weak, the acid backed up in the esophagus causing pain and discomfort. Heart burn is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and it is caused by the irritation of the stomach acid (DeBruyne & Pinna, 2012). This can create a burning discomfort in the upper abdomen.

Decrease consumption of food and/or beverages that trigger acid reflux that include: spicy, fatty foods (which can slow the emptying of the stomach), chocolate, peppermint, citrus, onion, and garlic, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and caffeine. Avoid meals 3 hours before bedtime.

Once diagnosed, I found the paucity of reliable, concrete treatments shocking; but, using extensive PubMed research, I cured myself within a year. I overcame GERD by changing habits, chugging gallons of aloe vera leaf juice and essentially understanding my body’s natural processes and ethnobotany, which I found personally relieving and intellectually fascinating. My victory prompted me to partake in Townsend’s series of scientific research classes, requiring my joining an academic laboratory

Antacids are medicines that can be bought over-the-counter which are taken by mouth and can help to quickly relieve acidic refluxes in the body.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antacid The major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are taste of acid, bad breath, chest pains, etc. GERD is a long term condition where stomach contents come back up into the esophagus. Complications include esophageal strictures and Barrett’s esophagus.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroesophageal_reflux_disease An Esophageal Stricture is a narrowing or tightening of the esophagus that causes swallowing difficulties.

When suffering from GERD, it is important to know how to adjust in order to decrease the likelihood from suffering from signs and symptoms of this disease. A person with GERD should try to figure out what kind of food triggers the reflux. There are many foods that may irritate our stomach, for example, coffee, alcohols, tomatoes, and fatty foods, however, each and every one of us may be sensitive for a particular food/beverage and once we find out what it is we have to eliminate it. It is also crucial to decrease the size of our meal. If we are prone to acid reflux, it is important that we don’t lie flat for three hours after we have eaten a meal or snack.

When we eat, food travels down the esophagus and passes through a flap (the lower esophageal sphincter) to drop into the stomach. This flap is only supposed to open to allow food to pass down or gas to pass up (a burp). It can also open when we need to regurgitate (throw up). If the opens to much or does not close properly, stomach acid may splash up,

Is the pain worse after eating a meal? If yes what type of meal is it? ( r/o GERD) burning (can indicate GERD), stabbing pain

GERD is a condition caused by stomach acid or stomach content coming up from the stomach into the esophagus. This backwash causes irritation in the esophagus, as the stomach acid damages the esophageal lining. Most cases of GERD occur in infants and adults. For infants, the most common cause of GERD is due to pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract as it narrows the pylorus. This causes food to flow backward as it cannot make its way to the stomach, thus causing the baby to vomit. In adults, the most common cause of

GERD is another name for heartburn. There is a backflow of gastric and duodenal content that past the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus. As reflux of gastric acid causes acute epigastric pain after eating a meal. The pain can radiate to the person arm and then chest. The LES usually retains sufficient pressure around the lesser end of the esophagus to close it and prevent reflex. As the sphincter relaxes with each swallow, the food empty into the stomach. High acidity in the stomach triggers irritation and pain as the content enters the esophagus causing reflux esophagitis. In GERD, the sphincter is open, due to incompetent LES pressure or increase pressure within the stomach exceeds LES pressure. The pressure in the stomach propels the content into the esophagus.

Control gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). See your doctor about getting GERD under control, it can be controlled early enough to possibly prevent esophageal cancer.

GERD disease, commonly referred to as GERD or acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up or refluxes) into the esophagus. The liquid can inflame and damage the lining (esophagitis) although visible signs of inflammation occur in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin that are produced by the stomach. (Pepsin is an enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach.) The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has backed-up into the stomach from the duodenum. The first part of the small intestine attached to the stomach. Acid is believed to be the most injurious component of the refluxed liquid.

Commonly known as heartburn or reflux, is a condition where reflux of the gastric content into the oesophagus leads to symptoms which significantly impact a person's quality of life. Gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd is the most prevalent acid related disorder and is associated with significant impairment of health-related quality of life. Gastroesophageal reflux disease gerd occurs when acid and food in the stomach back up into the esophagus.Gerd often occurs when the lower muscle (sphincter) of the esophagus does not close properly. The sphincter normally opens to let food into the stomach. It then closes to keep food and stomach acid in the stomach. If the sphincter does not close properly, stomach acid and food back up (reflux) into the esophagus. The following may increase your risk for gerd. Gerd may be associated with several extra esophageal syndromes such as chronic cough, asthma, laryngitis, oropharyngeal ulceration and dental erosions. Available evidence indicates that therapy response rates in gerd are related to the degree of acid suppression achieved. Having an appropriate discussion with a physician is key to understanding the condition, available treatment options and the degree to which acid suppression can be achieved.

Stress can cause mental disorders like anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but it can also cause gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and peptic ulcer disease. I found the article The neurobiology of stress and gastrointestinal diseases which discusses the correlation between the two.

The build up of stomach acid may cause irritation and excess pain to individuals. Luckily, antacids being a weak base can help relieve the symptoms and pain. Antacids, such as Gelusil, Medi-Firs, Alka Seltzer, and Alcalak are neutralizing agents of acids that become helpful to the human body when heartburn occurs. Heartburn, also known as acid reflux is a common medical issue that occurs when hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the stomach moves backward along the digestive track to the esophagus (located within the throat). This reverse flow of fluids causes a burning sensation due to and possible sour taste that is characteristic of acids [1].