Acid Reflux vs. Heartburn vs. Gerd: What's the Difference?



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Prevention: keeping a food journal

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Different people react differently to foods so she can help models with a food diary. Soft drinks, which can distend the stomach, are a common culprit. Other factors may include alcohol, chocolate, peppermint and nicotine in cigarette smoke, all of which can relax the sphincter, letting the acids flow out. The improvement of reflux is only one of 15 hallucinating ways after quitting.

For some people, some foods can irritate the esophagus directly, causing the stomach burning sensation, but no reflux. These include acidic foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes. Spicy foods can also be problematic. However, Dr. Spechler points out, it is rare to feel the burn if you have a healthy esophagus to begin with – typically this sensation occurs with these foods because your esophagus is already sensitive as a result of acid reflux. Here are more foods that can wreak havoc on your digestive system.

Prescription Drugs

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If you are relatively young and you are describing what looks like burns In typical stomachs, your doctor will be pretty sure that you have GERD and might suggest prescription H2 inhibitors or PPIs.

"These drugs suppress stomach acid," says Dr. Spechler. "And people, in general, are able to tolerate them very well." Taking is the side effects, especially for PPIs. "There is no free meal," he says. "All drugs have risks, but the potential dangers of PPIs can also be exaggerated." Studies that identified these potential problems are not definitive, he says, "and can only identify badociations between PPIs and problems but not that the PPI caused the problems. "You will want to discuss the potential risk with your doctor. What Happens If Medicines Do not Work

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Drugs are typically effective; if you take them and do not feel better, your doctor may perform an endoscopy to make sure that there is not another cause for your reflux and heartburn: A thin tube with a camera is inserted into your throat (do not worry, will be sedated) so that the doctor can check if your esophagus is inflamed; It is also an opportunity to take a tissue sample to make sure you do not have more serious problems like Barrett's esophagus, a GERD complication in which esophageal cells resemble intestinal cells, which increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

to see what's going on inside the chest is by doing an ambulatory acid probe (pH) test: A pH sensor placed in your esophageal monitors when and for how long the stomach acid flows into your esophagus. Other tests include measuring contractions in your esophagus (by oesophageal manometry) or radiography.

In addition to ensuring that there are no complications, these tests also help confirm that you have GERD and if surgery could help you. Fundoplication is a laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedure in which the surgeon wraps a portion of the stomach around the lower esophagus to keep the valve closed when it should be

A New Option is called magnetic sphincter augmentation. This less invasive surgical procedure implants a ring of magnets – the size of a quarter – at the junction of the stomach and the esophagus. It expands to let food in but tightens after you have eaten, but there are potential side effects like difficulty swallowing, not to mention the impossibility of undergoing an MRI.

Do not miss these 8 important medical reasons you should never ignore severe heartburn.

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