Acid Reflux: GERD in Children.
Acid reflux is extremely common in infants and usually resolves in the first year. For these children, conservative treatment is all that is needed. Small frequent feeds, thickened feeds and positioning the infant to minimise reflux are measures used. However, true GERD in children, although uncommon, warrants investigations. Before considering investigations, it is important to [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Pharyngo-laryngeal reflux
Do you know that in addition to the many disorders of the esophagus, acid reflux or GERD can also cause problems related to the ears, throat and respiratory system? Acid reflux can cause chronic coughing, hoarseness or voice change and even earache. Commonly acid reflux can lead to esophageal disorders. Here is the list: Esophagitis [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Chronic cough of GERD.
Chronic coughing in a patient with acid reflux can be a big and annoying problem. Coughing following acid reflux is mainly due to irritation. The reflux can tract high up the esophagus to the larynx and pharynx. Irritation in this area can cause hoarseness and coughing. The reflux can also go as far as the [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Long term maintenance in GERD.
Acid reflux is a chronic condition with regular relapses in many patients. The problem is directly related to the lower esophageal sphincter. When the LES becomes incompetent, no medical treatment will rectify this. Acid reflux treatment is to reduce the acid level in the gastric contents refluxing back up into the esophagus. This means that [...]
Acid Reflux treatment: Hoarseness and GERD.
Image via Wikipedia Hoarseness is a change in voice quality. Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks needs proper evaluation. A possible cause of hoarseness is GERD. Reflux from the stomach can track up into the larynx and pharynx. And when this happens the larynx can become inflamed and subsequently hoarseness can develop. One patient came [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Obesity and GERD.
Obesity increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. The Body Mass Index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height and is the benchmark that dictates whether you are obese. A person with a BMI of over 30 is obese and anyone with a BMI of over 40 is very obese. You should aim [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Who is at Risk?
Some individuals are at an increased risk of developing acid reflux. You can break this up into three groups. The first group is the individuals who cannot alter their circumstances. In some people the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not function properly. Normally the LES is tightly shut and opens only to allow passage of [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Who gets Heartburn?
Who gets heartburn? Does acid reflux fit a certain profile? Is there a picture in your mind of what a person with GERD looks like? Is reflux associated with specific environmental facts? The National Heartburn Alliance decided to get some answers. They carried out a nationwide survey on heartburn/acid reflux. In this survey they asked [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Dysphagia following GERD.
The moment you tell your doctor you have difficulty in swallowing, the alarm bells ring. You will be fast tracked to the specialist for investigations and adequate treatment. Dysphagia that develops after acid reflux results from persistent assault on the esophageal lining. Inflammation and ulceration results in scarring that narrows the lumen of the esophagus. [...]
Acid Reflux Treatment: Is that Chest Pain from GERD?
The main feature of GERD is chest pain. This pain is easy to recognise if it is just heartburn. GERD, however, can produce a deep pain that radiates into the back or side. This pain is not easy to differentiate from pain of cardiac origin. In heart pain (angina pectoris), the pain is a tightness [...]
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