Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Factors That Contribute to it
Author: Groshan Fabiola

When the lower esophageal sphincter doesn't close properly or the stomach content reflux into the esophagus or flow back, the gastroesophageal reflux disease appears.
It is known that the esophagus has the role of carrying food from the mouth to the stomach, and the lower esophageal sphincter which is a ring of muscle situated at the bottom of the esophagus is acting like a valve between the esophagus and stomach.

When there is a stomach acid reflux, the lining of the esophagus is touched, and a burning sensation in the chest or throat appears. This is the so-called heartburn. Sometimes, it may happen that fluid to be tasted in the back of the mouth, fact known under the name of acid indigestion.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause serious problems, and we may consider that a person has this disease if heartburn appears more than twice a week.

The gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause symptoms like acid regurgitation and persistent heartburn. Not always heartburn is present, there were cases of persons that had gastroesophageal reflux disease and no heartburn appeared. But these persons experienced other symptoms instead, like hoarseness in the morning, pain in the chest, or painful swallowing. Bad breath or a dry cough can also be provoked by this disease.

Studies revealed that the gastroesophageal reflux disease appears more often in children and infants. Medical attention is very important in these cases, especially if this problem appears regularly and causes discomfort. The doctor may recommend that you keep the infant for 30 minutes after feeding in an upright position. Burping the infant several times during feeding is also a thing that should be done.
If the patient is an older child, the doctor may recommend avoiding sodas that contain caffeine, spicy foods like pizza, chocolate, peppermint, and also fried and fatty foods or acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes. A wise thing to do is to avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before bed-time. It is also possible that the doctor may prescribe medicine, and in rare cases surgery is needed.

Some factors that contribute to the apparition of the gastroesophageal reflux are: smoking, alcohol, overweight and pregnancy. There are some foods that can be associated to gastroesophageal reflux too. Some of them are: citrus fruits, chocolate, garlic and onions, mint flavorings, spicy foods, fatty and fried foods and drinks with caffeine.
A hiatal hernia may also contribute to gastroesophageal reflux apparition. This hernia appears when the upper part of the stomach is above the diaphragm. It is known that the diaphragm helps the lower esophageal sphincter to keep acid from coming up into the esophagus, and when hiatal hernia is present, it is easier for the acid to come up.

There are multiple factors that can favorize gastroesophageal reflux apparition, but nobody knows exactly why this disease occurs.

For more resources about acid reflux or especially about acid reflux symptoms please click this link http://www.acid-reflux-info-guide.com/acid-reflux-symptoms.htm

 

¶ 4:41 PM