Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Other Terms: Acid Reflux, indigestion. Back-flow, Pyrosis, Cardialgia, Water-brash, Heart-burn
Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD), is a digestive disorder that affects the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES). In this disease, the stomach acid or bile flows into the oesophagus and irritates the lining. Acid reflux and heartburn more than twice a week may indicate, that one might be suffering from GERD or any other pathology. In this condition, the patient feels like burning chest and pain behind the breast bone, and it moves upward to your neck and throat, and sometimes patient feels like food is coming back into the mouth and leaving a sour and bitter taste. It happens when content from your stomach moves up into your oesophagus.
Cause.
The lower oesophageal sphincter is a circular muscle. It’s present in between the stomach and oesophagus. When it becomes weak, it doesn’t work correctly, and it allows the gastric juice and food content from the stomach to rise into the oesophagus. There are few other conditions also responsible for weakening the lower oesophagal sphincter like Hiatus hernia, Prolonged emptying of the stomach, and abnormal contraction of the oesophagus.
Why it happens
Cure means healing or restoring to health. Cure is applied to the eradication of disease or sickness. When a disease is cured, the symptoms don’t return once the treatment is removed. Curing a disease happens when its cause is eliminated. This of course is not the case with drugs for heartburn and GERD. As soon as the patient stops taking them, the symptoms return. And often they’re worse than they were before the patient started the drug
Symptoms
- Burning of the chest (Heart-burn)
- Regurgitation
- Sour and bitter taste in the mouth due to regurgitation
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Difficulty in swallowing food
- Oesophageal strictures
- Bleeding
- Anaemia
- Weight-loss
- Bad breathing
Some Risk Factors
- Obesity
- Hiatal hernia
- Pregnancy
- Eating certain foods, such as spicy food and deep-fried food
- Drinking certain drinks like coffee, soda and alcohol
- Lying down just after eating
- Prolonged emptying of the stomach
- Eating more amount of meal
- Smoking
How do I confirm if I have GERD?
Primary treatment of psoriasis is majorly based on controlling the symptoms. The need for treatment is usually lifelong and there is frequent reappearance of symptoms occur due to any triggering factors. So far, there is no definitive therapy that can result a complete cure of psoriasis.
First of all, the doctor does a physical examination. Then they ask some question about the problem you are having and your medical history. Then they ask about your food diet etc. At times few doctors prefer to give a round of base-line medications if the clinical features suggest an uncomplicated GERD case considering the history, presentation and severity of the disease. If the symptoms do not subside within a reasonable period, and despite the medications and lifestyle modification; the following tests will be immediately advocated to determine the root cause behind the patient’s clinical presentation.
Barium oesophageal X-Ray and GI-Endoscopy with biopsy, pH Monitoring, etc. can be useful for arriving at the case’s actual cause.
Well! What to do to prevent?
One may not control the disease’s progression if there are gross structural damage or any hernia is in an advanced stage. However, few of the Preventive measures are as follows:
· Stop smoking
· Maintain a healthy weight
· Avoid eating spicy and deeply-fried oily food
· Avoid large meals and eat small and frequent meals.
· Don’t keep your stomach empty
· Don’t lie just after eating.
· Try to avoid tight-fitting clothes
· Elevate the head of your bed
· Avoid foods and drinks that trigger reflux
Why Homeopathy? How much is it useful?
Homoeopathic refers to treating a person as a whole physically, mentally and emotionally. Homoeopathic treatment is so effective, safe and has no side effects. Homoeopathic medicine gives you relief from your disease if there are no gross level changes.
If you have heartburn and acid reflux often then you have to consult with a doctor. A doctor can be a better judge to evaluate the condition; hence, self-prescription can be harmful. Common symptoms like heartburn could be a presentation of a more severe health issue.
Some homoeopathic medicines frequently used are – Carbo Veg, Lycopodium, Natrum Carbonicum, Nux Vomica, Pulsatilla, Antimonium crud, Ars Album, Bryonia, Cinchona Officinalis, Colocynth, Magnesia phosphorica, Natrum phosphoricum, Phosphorus etc. However, the correct medication and the right dose can be prescribed only after evaluation of the case. So why wait, the Doctors at Let’s Homeopathy are just a call away to help You!