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Gastroesophageal (pronounced: gas-tro-ih-sah-fuh-jee-ul) reflux disease is a
condition in which acid from the stomach regurgitates or refluxes into the
esophagus. (The muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach is called
the esophagus). Simply put, in this disorder, liquid from the stomach starts to
flow backwards into the esophagus. This liquid contains acid and pepsin (pepsin
is an enzyme that aids the digestion of protein within the stomach). It may also
contain some bile.
The most harmful constituent among these is the acid.
In rare cases it can even inflame the lining of the esophagus. The more common
symptoms, however, are heartburn, strictures, difficulty in swallowing and chest
pain. Patients may experience one or a combination of these symptoms.
GERD, once it happens, usually lasts a lifetime. If the esophagus is
injured, then the condition is chronic. Symptoms do subside with regular
treatment, and tend to disappear temporarily when the treatment is terminated.
However, problems will resurface after a few months and treatment will have to
be resumed.
It is normal for some amount of the stomach’s liquids to
reflux into the esophagus in all of us. In GERD patients however, the liquid
contains a greater proportion of acid and takes longer to go back into the
stomach. Therefore, while occasional instances of heartburn are considered
normal, persons who experience it more than once a week are at greater risk of
developing GERD. Chances of developing GERD are heightened if one already
suffers from hiatal hernia.
The good news is that the body does have its
own mechanisms to ease the symptoms. For instance, most reflux
occurs during the
day, when we are upright and therefore making gravity work for us. In an upright
position, refluxed liquid flows back into the stomach at a faster rate. When
awake, we swallow more often, each time forcing the reflux back into the
stomach. Additionally, the saliva produced in the mouth contains bicarbonate,
which neutralizes acid. With each swallow, as this saliva travels down the
esophagus, it neutralizes the leftover acid after swallowing and gravity have
done most of the work.
However, at night, when we are in a prostrate
position and asleep, gravity does not work, and swallowing stops. Therefore,
reflux at night is likely to act detrimentally on the esophagus because it stays
there longer.
Article Source:Reprinted
Articles.com
Jack Smith writes about various heart burn, gerd, health acid reflux, and reflux
disease topics.
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