Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.

In today’s world, people often deal with their stomach issues in the form of acidity, bloating, burning sensation in the chest, etc.,  If you are experiencing any one or all the symptoms and you often feel a kind of lump stuck in your throat or difficulty while swallowing? You cannot ignore it! This may be the onset of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. 

The lower end of the esophagus has a sphincter muscle that opens, closes, and regulates the movement of food and liquid into the stomach like a unidirectional flow control valve. Very unusually, when this muscle gets weak or relaxes when it shouldn’t, the stomach acids along with the food move backward i.e., towards the esophagus, giving a burpy feeling with acidic liquid and food trying to move outwards. Hence gastroesophageal reflux or an acid reflux reaction takes place. 

Diagnosis of this disorder can be done by endoscopy of the upper half of the digestive tract. Treatment mainly focuses on avoiding the reverse flow of gastric acids and reducing the damage of the esophageal lining caused due to such sudden refluxes. 

This article will give you information on the GERD signs and symptoms, what causes GERD, and how to cure GERD permanently.

1. What is GERD?

As the name suggests, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the disorder of the region joining the stomach and the esophagus. GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter muscle (LES) weakens or relaxes at the wrong time causing a backward movement of gastric acids and food into the esophagus. This backward flow can damage the esophageal lining in turn causing esophageal ulcers and hence worsening the condition. 

According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Almost 20% of people experience GERD, its severe and long-lasting symptoms. However, GERD treatment involves making lifestyle changes, medications, a low acidic diet for GERD patients, and surgery as well. 

2. Common symptoms of GERD

      Some of the common GERD disease symptoms include

• A burning sensation that begins in the chest and moves upwards to the neck and throat.

• A feeling of food coming back into the mouth giving the mouth a bitter or acidic taste.

• Pain and pressure in the chest, throat that lasts for more than a couple of hours.

• Nausea and vomiting

• Difficulty while swallowing

• Sometimes, chronic cough or voice hoarseness is observed

• Bad breath and wearing of tooth enamel

• A feeling of the presence of a lump in the throat

When the above indications of GERD become prominent, your doctor may recommend certain diagnostic tests that include physical examination, a study of the upper digestive tract through upper endoscopy, X-ray, esophageal PH monitoring, and esophageal manometry.

3. Main causes of GERD

One of the primary reasons for GERD is the weakening and untimely relaxation of the lower sphincter muscles of the esophagus. The other factors that weaken the LES causing GERD include

• High-calorie diet: Having a diet high in calories is one of the factors that can cause acid ingestion, obesity. This may cause an increase in abdominal pressure leading to GERD.

• GERD during pregnancy: Pregnant women release more gastric acids due to medications or changing hormone levels that may affect the muscular movements of LES leading to GERD symptoms during pregnancy.

• Smoking: Studies suggest that nicotine in cigarette smoke tends to relax the LES. Hence both smoking and inhaling smoke can be a potential cause of GERD.  

• Hiatal Hernia: Hiatal hernia is a condition where a small opening in the diaphragm (diaphragmatic hernia) causes the stomach to move up into the chest. This condition eases the backward movement of the food causing GERD. 

• Gastroparesis: Clinical studies show that delayed emptying of the stomach (gastroparesis) is associated with GERD.

• Other causes: Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma, improper eating habits, certain medications are known to cause this reflux disease. 

4. Potential Risks and Complications.

Sometimes, GERD can act as a potential risk factor causing serious complications. Some of them include:

• Inflammation of the esophagus: Esophagitis or inflammation of the esophagus is a complication caused due to a severe GERD condition. Esophagitis can cause chronic swelling of the esophagus, ulcer formation, and sometimes bleeding.

• Esophageal stricture: The development of ulcers and swelling of the esophagus can narrow its tract resulting in swallowing issues.

• Barrett's esophagus: The excessive damage of the esophageal lining leads to the building up of a new lining but similar to that of the intestine. This condition is called Barrett's esophagus. In extremely rare cases, Barrett's esophagus is likely to develop esophageal cancer.

The complications of GERD are less common and can be averted with timely diagnosis and precise treatment. 

5. Treatment of GERD in Delhi. 

The first line of GERD disease treatment considered by your doctor will be a change in lifestyle choices along with medications. Also, the best treatment for GERD will be according to the severity of the condition and the reasons causing GERD. Some of the treatment options for GERD include:

• GERD treatment diet: A diet high in nutrition and less in calories is advised for people with GERD. 

Foods having high fiber content, low in Ph, and containing more water can help to prevent acid reflux. 

Changes in eating habits such as eating slowly with slow chewing habits and having smaller portions of food with frequent eating can help relieve GERD.

• Changes while sleeping: Sleeping in a position by elevating the body right from the waist or a raised head position can relieve constant heartburn and acid reflux.  

• Quitting smoking: Studies show that people who quit smoking post-diagnosis of GERD showed reduced symptoms and had lower risks of GERD complications.

• Medications: There is a range of over-the-counter medicines such as antacids and H2 blockers that can help reduce the acids produced in the stomach. 

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) that are safer, more effective can be prescribed to reduce the acids in the stomach and help heal the esophagus.

Certain medications such as Baclofen are known to strengthen the lower sphincter muscles. 

• Fundoplication surgery: Fundoplication can be performed as a laparoscopic procedure (minimally invasive with smaller incisions) as well as an open surgery (with a large incision). Here the upper stomach region near the lower end of the esophagus is wrapped to tighten the muscles and reduce acid reflux.

• Other surgical procedures: Surgeries such as a gastric bypass (bariatric surgery), an endoscopic procedure to tighten the muscles near the LES can be done. 

Endoscopy can also be performed to place tiny ring-like magnetic beads (LINX device) at the LES to stop the reverse flow of acids. 

In cases of GERD caused due to hiatal hernia, a laparoscopic procedure to repair hiatal hernia is performed. 

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a disorder of the digestive system where the stomach tends to release its digestive juices towards the esophagus. These acid refluxes can get acute and chronic. GERD is curable if diagnosed and treated in time. For the best GERD treatment in Delhi connect with the best gastroenterologists at Aakash Hospital, South Delhi.

Aakash Hospital is one of the leading referral Centers of the city for routine medical, surgical, orthopedic, gastric, and other advanced procedures. We, At Aakash, have highly qualified doctors and well-trained service staff who make their patients feel at home and thus making Aakash Hospital a name to reckon with.