What is Gerd?
Gerd or Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition affecting the esophagus or food pipe, a tube that stretches from the throat to the stomach. When you have Gastroesophageal reflux disease, the lining of your esophagus becomes inflamed and irritated because of acid backing up from the stomach. This condition is quite common among adults and is non-life threatening and its symptoms include hoarseness in the throat along with coughing, sensation of burning pain in the chest, earache, sinusitis and nausea.
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Although, the above are signs of gastroesophageal reflux disease, one or two of them together does not necessarily mean that you have the disease. There are other illnesses and diseases that have these symptoms as well.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease complications include, stricture formation, esophageal spasms, esophageal ulcers, Barrett's esophagus, which is characterized by changes in the cells lining the esophagus, that can lead to esophageal cancer.
A comprehensive medical examination and a look at the medical history of the patient are required to help determine and identify severe Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
What are The Causes?
GERD is caused by the weakness of the cardia or stomach-esophagus junction. In healthy individuals, these valves prevent stomach acid, enzymes and bile, from traveling back into the esophagus where they can cause burning and irritation of sensitive tissue lining the esophagus.
Another puzzling cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms is not having enough stomach acid. Acidity stimulates the valve to empty the stomach into the intestines. If there is acid insufficiency, the valve does not open, and the stomach contents back up into the esophagus. Yet, there is still enough acidity to irritate the esophagus tissue.
This condition has also been linked to obesity as well as hypercalcemia where there is an increase of gastrin production, hiatal hernia, medication use such as prednisolone, and the intermittent relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter.
Treatments
There are several treatments for GERD and these are classified as non-drug treatments, drug treatments and surgery. As their names suggest, the non-drug treatments do not encompass using chemical based drugs and other medicines that are based in science. The treatment can be as simple as elevating the head during sleep or adjusting one’s posture.
Drug treatments for Gastroesophageal reflux disease are readily available, but you would need to see your medical practitioner for prescription. Surgery as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease is only for cases where the other treatments do not work or as a replacement of long-term drug use.
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