Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: What is It?

A lot of people wonder if they have gastroesopheageal reflux disease. In general, gastroesophageal reflux disease is also known as acid reflux disease. This condition is defined as the long term damage in the mucosa of a person due to the abnormal reflux present in the esophagus. The most common symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease are heartburn and regurgitation. People often think that their heartburn is associated with major heart disease, hence consulting their physician about it.

A person suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease may experience frequent episodes of vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Sometimes, recently ingested food may also be vomited immediately. This will further cause damage to the mucosal lining because of the acid that regurgitates. Frequent vomiting may cause hypochlorhydria or decreased hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This happens because people who are experiencing frequent vomiting episodes lose acid in their stomach because the acids lost are the vomitus.

Usually, people often experience the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the morning because people are in the upright position. The rationale for this is due to the gravitational pull that the liquid contents are flowing back to the stomach. The acidic environment in the stomach causes movement of acid to the esophagus which will result in disruptions of mucous layers. However, when saliva passes through the esophagus, it neutralizes the acidic environment due to the bicarbonate content of saliva.

Heartburn is a common symptom associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. People usually think that this symptom is caused by impending heart disease. Heartburn is described as a burning pain in the chest, at the back of the breast bone, and in the abdomen. On the other hand, there are some people who do not experience heartburn but rather a dry cough and difficulty in swallowing or dysphagia.

The exact causes of gastroesophageal reflux disease for some people are still unknown but clinical investigations show that those who are diagnosed with this disease have a relaxed lower esophageal sphincter even if the esophagus is perfectly working. There are also some instances that a person with hiatal hernia may develop gastroesophageal reflux disease. Aside from that, there are also some predisposing factors for the development of this disease and these are pregnancy, obesity, and smoking.

People with gastroesophageal reflux disease should know that there are some foods that should be avoided because it can worsen the symptoms brought about by the disease. These foods are citrus fruits, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, chocolate, fried foods, foods that are rich in fat, spicy foods, garlic and onion, mint flavorings, foods that have tomato such as salsa, pizza, and spaghetti sauce.

In order to avoid suffering severe symptoms, it would be best to make necessary lifestyle changes. Changing your bad lifestyle habits would even help you to achieve a better state of well-being. Such changes include avoiding prohibited foods and cessation of smoking habits. It would also be better if meals are small but frequent.

Obese individuals who are diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease should have a diet regimen in order to lose weight. Loose fitting clothes are also advised to wear rather than tight fitting clothes. To treat symptoms related to acidity, over the counter antacids are advised. After two weeks of intake of these antacids and the symptoms have not yet subsided, a consultation to the physician would be necessary.