The most common cause of heartburn is acid reflux which can be triggered by overeating, consuming spicy or fatty foods, smoking, alcohol intake, or using certain medications.
“This can occur for multiple reasons that cause intra-abdominal pressure to be abnormally elevated, including being overweight or obese, frequent overeating, lying down too soon after eating, chronic straining or coughing, or chronic heavy lifting. These are typically the people who are more susceptible to GERD.”
Mild sufferers may experience occasional bouts of heartburn. Patients with more severe reflux can experience heartburn daily. Other patients never experience heartburn but may have symptoms such as asthma, chronic cough, hoarseness, or chest pain due to persistent reflux.
Overeating, eating too close to bedtime or certain foods can all potentially give rise to heartburn. However, low stomach acid is also a major and often overlooked underlying cause. Stress or eating quickly or on the go can also aggravate this underlying cause further.
Surgery for GERD
The goal of surgery for reflux disease is to strengthen the anti-reflux barrier. During a procedure known as a Nissen fundoplication, your surgeon wraps the upper part of your stomach around the lower esophagus. This enhances the anti-reflux barrier and can provide permanent relief from reflux.
Long-term acid reflux can damage the esophagus and may lead to a condition known as Barrett's esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer. Barrett's affects about 3% to 10% of older men, but within this group the risk of developing esophageal cancer is only about four in every 1,000 cases.
Can Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease be cured? Yes, GERD can be cured. The most common treatment for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is medication, which can help to decrease the amount of acid in your stomach. If lifestyle changes don't help, your doctor may also recommend surgery.
Here are some indications that it's time to call a gastroenterologist: Symptoms that continue for more than two weeks. Heartburn that persists after taking over-the-counter medications. Heartburn episodes that change in frequency or intensity.
In some people the burning sensation calms down after just a few minutes, but that is not a rule, and it can last up to a few days in some other cases. However, if heartburn lasts even longer and if it occurs even more frequently, we recommend that you see your doctor as soon as possible.
It is a chronic condition caused by changes in the gastroesophageal valve (GEV) that allow contents to flow from the stomach back into the esophagus. Left untreated, GERD can be a lifelong disease.
Persistent heartburn can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as Barrett's esophagus, hiatal hernia, or esophageal cancer. If heartburn does not resolve after taking antacids, a person should visit a doctor for evaluation.
Difficulty swallowing. Painful swallowing. Swallowed food becoming stuck in the esophagus, also known as food impaction. Chest pain, particularly behind the breastbone, that occurs with eating.
Yes, it's possible. Emotional stress can increase acid production in the stomach, aggravating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In people with GERD, the lower esophageal sphincter muscle (which acts as a door between the stomach and the esophagus) doesn't work properly.
Stage 1 (mild): A person has infrequent heartburn and regurgitation happening once or less each week. Stage 2 (moderate): A person has regurgitation or heartburn occurring a few times a week. Stage 3 (severe): A person has regular heartburn, a chronic cough, regurgitation, a hoarse voice, and regurgitation of food.
GERD can cause chest pain that mimics a heart attack. Described as a squeezing pressure behind the breast bone, GERD-related chest pain can last for hours. And like a heart attack, it can also radiate down your arm to your back.
In a general practice setting for patients complaining of moderate heartburn, Gaviscon® (4 × 10 mL/day) is an effective short-term treatment option in mild-to-moderate GERD, in terms of onset of a first 24-h heartburn-free period after initial dosing.
Drinking water during the later stages of digestion can reduce acidity and GERD symptoms. Often, there are pockets of high acidity, between a pH or 1 and 2, just below the esophagus. By drinking tap or filtered water a little while after a meal, you can dilute the acid there, which can result in less heartburn.
The duration of GERD symptoms can vary from person to person. In some cases, symptoms may occasionally last a few hours. In other cases, symptoms may be more frequent and persist for several days or weeks.