Is heartburn a symptom of GERD?

By Dr shahbaz ali


 When you eat food passes from your mouth into your esophagus a muscular tube that leads to your stomach your esophagus has a ring of muscle at the end called the lower esophageal sphincter it opens to let food into your stomach normally it stays closed to prevent stomach contents from going back up into your esophagus if the sphincter doesn't close all the way gastroesophageal reflux or ger can happen the weak or relaxed sphincter allows the contents of your stomach to reflux or leak back into your esophagus acid in the stomach contents irritates your esophagus this can cause a painful burning feeling in your chest called heartburn or acid indigestion it's common to have gastroesophageal reflux.


 Once in a while however if it happens more than twice a week for a few weeks you may have a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease also known as GERD if left untreated GERD can lead to complications over time example you may develop esophagitis where the lining of your esophagus becomes inflamed or irritated your esophagus may become too narrow which is a condition called esophageal stricture GERD may cause you to breathe stomach acid into your lungs this can lead to respiratory.


 problems such as asthma chest congestion hoarseness wheezing laryngitis and pneumonia GERD can also lead to a condition called Barrett's esophagus in this condition the cells lining your lower esophagus are replaced with cells similar to those in your intestine this may increase your risk for developing cancer in your esophagus common causes of GERD include being pregnant or overweight which puts pressure on your abdomen smoking certain medications such as those that treat allergies high blood pressure and depression and a hiatal hernia a hiatal hernia is a condition where the upper part of your stomach moves up through an opening in your diaphragm this makes it easier for stomach acid to come up into your esophagus the most common symptom of GERD is heartburn other symptoms include nausea problems swallowing bad breath hoarseness sore throat and bringing food back up called regurgitation to find out more about gastroesophageal reflux disease talk to your health care provider

Comments

Post a Comment