GERD Treatment

Laparoscopic Fundoplication (GERD)

It is a common digestive condition, and acid reflux occurs when your stomach contents move in a backward direction into the esophagus. It is commonly known as acid regurgitation or (GERD) gastroesophageal reflux. In a survey, it has been found that more than 50 million Americans experience the GERD at least once in a month & almost 15 million Americans experience it almost each and every day.

GERD usually causes the burning sensation in your chest & this sensation can be resulted in radiation which can go up from the stomach to your mid-chest. This condition is several times known as the heartburn. GERD or acid reflux can also occur because of the sour taste in the mouth at the back end. It can lead to difficulty in swallowing if it is chronic and can cause certain breathing problems like asthma.

Reason behind it

Your muscle placed at the end of the esophagus or better called the lower (LES) esophageal sphincter. It is a one-way valve which opens normally for a shorter period when you swallow something. GERD or acid reflux usually occurs when your LES is not able to close properly, or it opens tightly.

A sudden fault or weak LES can’t function properly & allows digestive juices & your stomach contents to goes up to the esophagus. A large amount of meals can cause your stomach to stretch more than enough and loosen the LES. Many factors that are associated with the GERD can be:-

• obesity
• Consuming high amount of particular food items like carbonated beverages, chocolate, and
• stress
• hiatal hernia

You can try eliminating the particular food items from your diet if you are facing the problem of reflux with those food items. However, some people find it interesting that sitting up straight after & during the eating can improve the symptoms related to it.

Types of Acid Reflux

If you are facing the problem more than once in a week, then it can be considered as the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Apart from that in normal cases, most of the time people experience occasional GER or acid reflux if the digestive condition is not chronic.

The GERD problem can affect both infants as well as children. In this case, the children under the age of 12 don’t experience heartburn. Other symptoms can be:

• laryngitis or better known as loss of voice
• trouble in swallowing
• asthma
• a dry cough

All these symptoms can appear in adults also.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

It is a chronic digestive disease and can affect people of all age group even children. It is the serious form of GER and can cause dangerous health issues if left untreated. Laparoscopic fundoplication or acid reflux which occurs more than two times in a week and which also causes the inflammation in the esophagus can be considered as GERD.

Symptoms of GERD can be:

• sudden heartburn
• regurgitation
• trouble in swallowing
• distress feeling of excessive fullness

You should consult your doctor if you are facing these issues. You can also use over-the-counter (OTC) reflux medications or antacids for sometimes as per the advice of the doctor.

Diet & nutrition concerned with the GERD

If the acid goes back into the esophagus from the stomach, then GERD can occur. This is due to the lower rate of oesophageal sphincter or LES which could be weakened or damaged. So the food you are taking every day can have a great impact on the overall amount of acid your stomach is producing. It is better to eat the right kind of food for controlling & managing the acid level and also regulating the acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux) disease which is nothing but a chronic, severe, form of acid reflux.