1 Why does GERD occur?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease can develop against a background of many problems. In gastroenterology, it is common to identify the following causes that trigger the onset of GERD:

1. Violation of the tone of the lower sphincter in the esophagus.

This situation can arise due to the negative impact:

• if a person is over-consuming drinks that contain caffeine - tea, coffee and some types of soda water;
• taking certain medications can also cause the development of reflux disease: Verapamil, Papaverin, Theophylline and others;
• because of smoking, nicotine enters the human body and begins to negatively affect muscle tone;
• alcohol with its composition has a devastating effect on mucous surfaces, not only the stomach, but also other organs;
• pregnancy - during this period the hormonal background starts its reorganization, because of what the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter can be somewhat weakened.

Such reasons are not pathological, therefore eliminating them, it is possible to promote a more successful cure for gastroesophageal disease.

1. Reflux problem occurs due to increased intra-abdominal pressure.

This disease can be secondary, for example, against ascites, obesity, persistent flatulence and pregnancy.

1. If a person has a diaphragmatic hernia, then favorable conditions for the development of the disease appear.

In this case, the lower part of the esophagus in the chest area is underpressure. This type of hernia is found in every second who has turned 50 years old.

1. Incorrect food intake.

It's not for nothing that doctors constantly say that they need to slowly and thoroughly chew every bit. In a hurry, not only large fragments, but also air, enter the digestive system. It is the latter moment that contributes to increased intragastric pressure, and as a result - food will enter the esophagus. Despite the fact that the stomach is strong enough acid, it does not always manage to cope with large volumes.

1. An ulcer in the duodenum can provoke the development of GERD.

Products with animal fats, fried foods, spicy flavored, sodas - all this leads to the fact that the stomach can not easily digest them. Thus, the masses linger and provoke an increase in pressure.

All these factors cause the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease. But if you evaluate them objectively, half of the above assumptions can simply be prevented by preventing them. First, to control your diet, and if any diseases in the digestive system already exist, then a diet should be observed. Secondly, it is worthwhile to lead a healthy lifestyle: to give up smoking and drinking alcohol, at least to drink quality alcohol and then only on holidays.

2 Symptoms of the disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease has similar symptoms to other ailments of the digestive system. Therefore, in order to confirm the diagnosis of GERD, the patient should consult a gastroenterologist who will prescribe a special examination. It will help determine the causes that caused the development of the disease, because often it is the consequence of some other disease.

With GERD, bad food, getting into the esophagus, starts to irritate the mucous membranes, which causes inflammation in those. In order to know that it's time to seek help, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the symptoms of the disease. And they are:

1. Heartburn.

This phenomenon is a burning sensation in the chest that can begin in the epigastric region, gradually rising and radiating to the upper part of the body - neck, shoulders. Often such a symptom is manifested at night or an hour after the end of lunch. If a person additionally exercises himself with physical activity or drinks a glass of soda, he will feel the heartburn gaining strength. Usually, relief comes from regurgitation.

1. Belching.

The causes of this symptom are due to the fact that the gastric contents enter the esophagus and the oral cavity because the lower sphincter is not in a tonus. The patient feels sour taste in the mouth cavity. Eating and heartburn usually manifest themselves when a person takes a horizontal position or leans forward, that is, the internal organs go into a state similar to relaxation.

3 Oddophagia

This symptom is characterized by the appearance of pain during swallowing food and as it passes through the esophagus. Such a sign appears even with progressive diseases, when new growths begin to appear in the body.

Patients with reflux disease may experience hiccups and vomiting. The first symptom occurs against the background of a spasm of diaphragmatic muscles, but the second is manifested when there is an ulcer of the duodenum in addition to GERD.

Symptoms, treatment of gastroesophageal disease depend on the stage of development. In addition to the above features, there are a number of points that are absolutely not related to the digestive system. These include:

• the occurrence of pain in the chest, which is similar to coronary;
• the heart can suddenly begin to beat more often( arrhythmia);
• in the supine position, the stomach mass may flow into the throat, which causes perspiration and the patient begins to cough much;
• if the contents get into the trachea or bronchi, it can provoke the development of obstructive bronchitis, asthma or aspiration pneumonia.

All these manifestations indicate that the digestive system has begun to malfunction. BUT!Such symptoms speak not only of gastroesophageal reflux disease, but also can be signals of other disorders. Therefore, to confirm or deny the diagnosis of GERD, it is necessary to visit a specialist. He will appoint a survey to help determine the true problem.

4 How is the examination of a person's condition?

Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease begins after the patient has passed all the diagnostics.

Thus, a doctor can evaluate the development of pathology and see the general state of the body. This is necessary in order to understand whether GERD is an independent disease or secondary. The fact is that sometimes the symptoms of an illness appear in absolutely healthy people. But unlike patients, they stay no more than 3 minutes and have no effect on the state of the body.

If the manifestations of GERD last for more than 2 months, with a week appear 2 or more times, then there is no need to delay the visit to the doctor. The disease is determined by the following methods:

1. Proton pump inhibitor test.

The patient will take esomeprazole, omeprazole, rabeprazole and pantoprazole for 2 weeks. This test allows you to put a preliminary diagnosis.

1. Daily monitoring of intrasophageal pH.

Here, with the help of special equipment, the specialist records how many times a day there is a reflux and what is its duration. If the pH level is shown below the 4 mark, then this gives the right to talk about the presence of GERD.

1. Fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy.

This technique is designed to confirm esophagitis, and also helps to detect cancer and precancer conditions of the digestive system. It is prescribed in cases where the proton pump inhibitor has not given the desired results, if a person's condition starts to deteriorate sharply, and the specialist can not accurately diagnose the disease. EGF is also applied to patients who have suffered such ailment for more than five years or if their age has passed for 40 years.

1. Chromoscopy.

This method allows you to examine the stomach in those patients who suffer from this disease for several years, and from time to time they have relapses. It helps in time to diagnose a precancerous condition or if it is found, then a biopsy is applied to the pathological areas of the esophagus.

1. ECG and Holter monitoring.

It was noted above that GERD can make disturbances in the work of heart rhythm. Therefore, such diagnostics reveals arrhythmia and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. With the same goals, the patient is assigned to undergo ultrasound examination of the sternum and abdominal cavity.

1. X-ray.

Here the esophagus, stomach and organs located in the thorax can be tested. This method is aimed at identifying pathologies, for example, ulcers, hernias, narrowing, which can affect not only the digestive system, but the respiratory system.

1. Without fail, the patient gives urine, feces and blood for laboratory tests.

1. The bacterium test Helicobacter. If such a microorganism is still located, the patient will undergo eradication therapy.

5 As a conclusion

Having received all the results of diagnostics, the doctor can determine the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Following from analyzes, it can turn out and so, that to the patient will appoint and operation.

First of all, the patient should understand that his recovery depends on how clearly he will follow all the instructions of his attending physician. If a person has bad habits, then they are forever forgotten. GERD can be treated with a diet, but this is only if the disease has not taken on a global scale. It is important that the thoracic and abdominal areas are not under pressure, for this it is necessary to abandon bandages, belts and other items that tighten the stomach.

Depending on what exactly triggered GERD, what are its scales, and the general health of the patient, will depend on how quickly the person will recover and whether there is a risk of returning such a disease.