Gastroesophageal Digive Disorder Essay

The majority of people have had acid reflux or probably even heartburn every once in awhile. For some people, they have that repeatedly and more commonly than others. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach. Some signs and symptoms include a burning sensation in your chest (heartburn), chest pain, difficulty swallowing, dry cough, sore throat, and/or a lump in your throat. If you have any of the following please contact your doctor as soon as possible. The diagnosis is based on your symptoms, a test used to monitor the amount of acid in the esophagus, and possibly use a flexible tube to look inside the esophagus are …show more content…
This test is used mainly to rule out GERD if symptoms are not typical for acid reflux. You may know you have the disease if your symptoms include burning pain in the chest that usually occurs after eating and worsens when lying down, belching, heartburn, nausea, or even regurgitation. Men tend to be a bit more at risk when it comes the GERD, but there are very many risk factors. Some common risk factors include obesity, hiatal hernias, pregnancy, and asthma. You can decrease the risk by making sure you are at a health weight and fixing any hiatal hernias you may have. Treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is aimed at reducing backflow, or reflux, of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus preventing damage to the lining of the esophagus, or helping to heal the lining if damage has occurred. It can not be cured as once it is damaged, it doesn’t get fully healed after, but you can reduce the symptoms by doing simple lifestyle changes and taking medications. A major complication is if GERD is left untreated, esophagitis can cause bleeding, ulcers, and chronic scarring. This scarring can narrow the esophagus, eventually interfering with your ability to