Dr. Phil Hariram's Health Blog

GERD sufferers frequently have sleep problems because of nocturnal reflux and due mainly because they are lying flat. The refluxed gastric contents rush up the esophagus and wakes the sufferer. Elevating the bed has been proven to be a very good idea. It means the esophagus sits higher than the stomach while asleep. Similarly by [...]

Acid reflux is often worse at night because we sleep lying down and by doing so we lose the benefit of gravity. Most of us have our biggest meal in the evening. This is not a good idea if you have acid reflux. Most of us drink alcohol more often in the evening. If you [...]

Remember Keith from an earlier post? He had gained weight and became obese, drank excessively and smoked far too much. He developed GERD. He had sleep problems. Whatever position he slept, heartburn bothered him. He would sleep for an hour or two only to be awaken by heartburn or fluid rushing upwards into his mouth. [...]

If you do not have a problem with acid reflux then LES is your friend and obedient servant. He serves you well. He is always attentive and does the right things at the right time. Like most of us, he only occasionally makes a mistake and that is on the odd occasions you put pressure [...]

The commonest symptom of acid reflux is heartburn. Do not worry unnecessarily if you have heartburn. Most of us have heartburn at some time or other especially when we over indulge. Usually a single dose of antacid settles the problem. However, if the heartburn pain returns after treatment and becomes recurrent then the lower esophageal [...]

Acid reflux is a common condition. Heartburn occurs in up to 20% of people weekly and up to 10% of these have erosive esophagitis. GERD is generally a benign condition with few problems but when symptoms are persistent, it can cause considerable distress. Retrospective studies have shown that acid reflux patients who initially had normal [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 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 [...]