Introduction
Most of us are prior to sufferings but one would rather not do anything about them and ignore any symptom one may have. With the unhealthy lifestyle that we tend to have these days and most of it due to the food that one eats the gastr problems may appear. The medicine branch that deals with the issues of the digestive system is called gastroenterology. The gastr problems could affect the entire gastrointestinal tract, which is formed of the organs from mouth to anus, along the alimentary canal; or just a part of it.
The disease is commonly known as GERD. It is a gastro esophageal reflux disease, which is mainly characterized by the stomach regurgitation into the esophagus. The liquid that the stomach consists of can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus. What it usually consist of is acid and pepsin, both produced by the stomach. Acid is the most dangerous of all.
When does GERD occur?
Once you were found that you suffer a gastr condition, there is no way back. Despite of the fact that it has a certain treatment that one can follow; it is usually a life-long disease. It is a chronic condition, which treatment will have positive results for a few months or so, and then it will appear again. Its main characteristic is the reflux of the stomach content that occurs more frequently in patients with GERD. Despite of the body’s mechanisms of protection, being in the upright position, which happens more often than the laying position, will cause various refluxes during the day. Moreover, the swallow, which happens more often in day time, produces saliva that at its turn travels down the esophagus. This helps during the day time, when the bicarbonate from the saliva neutralizes the acid from the esophagus. Anyhow, during sleep or during night the most protective mechanisms – gravity, swallowing and saliva are not active, and this is when the most damage to the esophagus occurs.
GERD symptoms
Recognizing whether the gastr are actually in direct relation with the GERD disease, one should know the symptoms of GERD. These are feeling heartburn straight in the center of the chest, behind the breastbone. This usually is more persistent after eating, lying down will make it as well feeling even worse. Anyhow, not everyone with GERD has heartburn symptoms. One may have other symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, difficulty in swallowing, feeling something is in your throat, wheezing and some persistent dry cough.
Is it GERD or something else?
Before putting the final diagnosis of your symptoms, you should try some ways to surely diagnose GERD. The reason for this is that you may just have some simple gastr problems. One of the ways to diagnose it is to make an endoscopy, another way is to have a biopsy of the esophagus made, an X-ray, have an examination of the throat and larynx done, an esophageal acid testing or an esophageal motility testing. If the tests have proved that this is the problem with you, one should ask specialized medical care.
The gastroenterologist will offer you the needing gastr treatment for your situation. The main focus of the treatment is on reducing the reflux, relieving symptoms and preventing too much damage to the esophagus. The patients should change their diet, have smaller and earlier evening meals, reduce or cut for good the fatty foods from your diet, stop smoking, lower the chocolate, alcohol and caffeinated drinks; take the prescribed antacids, histamine antagonists or proton pump inhibitors, depending on the prescription.
