It's caused by a malfunction in the lower esophageal sphincter LES. The LES is supposed to close after allowing food to pass through to the stomach, but when it doesn't, stomach acid can flow back up where it's not supposed to be. Over time, GERD can cause damage to the esophagus, including precancerous changes, or lead to respiratory problems like pneumonia, laryngitis, and asthma, so it's important to get treated. Though some people are most at risk—pregnant women, smokers , and those who are overweight or obese—acid reflux and GERD can happen to anyone.
Here are the most common signs to look out for. This is the most common symptom of acid reflux. Heartburn is marked by a burning sensation in the chest, right behind your breastbone, that happens after eating.
It can last a few minutes or several hours. Chest pain, especially after bending over or lying down, and burning in the throat are also signs you're experiencing heartburn. If chest pain is ever paired with shortness of breath or jaw or arm pain, seek medical attention, as you could be experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. About 80 percent of people with GERD also experience regurgitation, when undigested food and stomach acid move back up from the stomach to the esophagus.
You know, that feeling when you kind of burp and get a little taste of your last meal but, like, mixed with puke. Eating large meals, exercising, or bending over after eating can trigger regurgitation. But it can also happen suddenly. Please talk to your physician if your GERD symptoms change.
In most cases, if your symptoms are primarily heartburn or acid regurgitation, your doctor can accurately diagnose GERD. However, testing may be required to confirm the diagnosis or to determine the degree of esophageal damage from GERD.
Testing also rules out other possible causes of your symptoms. Other less frequently performed tests include the Bernstein test and esophageal manometry. Although clinical evidence suggests that dietary and lifestyle modifications are usually not sufficient to bring chronic GERD under control, your physician might suggest a number of dietary and lifestyle changes directed at reducing your symptoms, and adhering to these recommendations might provide some relief.
The first goal of treatment is to prevent the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. Foods that trigger reflux and its symptoms vary from person to person. By paying close attention to your diet and symptoms, you may be able to identify which foods repeatedly contribute to your reflux.
Common trigger foods include alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods, and some spices. Avoiding large portions at mealtime and eating smaller, more frequent meals might aid in symptom control.
Many overweight individuals find symptom relief when they lose some weight, as excess bulk, especially around the abdomen, might put pressure on the digestive tract, negatively affecting its function.
Avoid clothes that fit tightly around the waist, as these also increase abdominal stress. People who have GERD should avoid lying down right after eating and refrain from eating within two to three hours of bedtime. To reduce nighttime symptoms, elevating the head of the bed about six inches may also help, but make sure to do this by propping up the mattress or bed frame, not by using pillows.
Using pillows can lead to back or neck pain and compression on the stomach that could actually increase GERD symptoms. There are two main approaches to treating GERD with medications: neutralizing acid and blocking its production. Some find that these non-prescription antacids provide quick, temporary, or partial relief but they do not prevent heartburn. Consult your physician if you are using antacids for more than three weeks. Two classes of medication that suppress acid secretion are histamine-2 receptor antagonists H 2 RAs and proton pump inhibitors PPIs.
Smoking can exacerbate conditions like acid reflux and lead to increased reflux and regurgitation. Bulimia may also cause regurgitation. Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by bingeing and purging food. Bulimia is a much more serious cause of voluntary regurgitation. It requires mental health treatment.
Regurgitation is common in infants and babies. However, some babies experience frequent regurgitation. This condition is characterized by frequent regurgitation more than once per day during the first year of life. GERD can also affect infants, although not as commonly as it affects adults.
Due to the short length of the esophagus, infants with GERD are more likely to experience regurgitation instead of just reflux. Symptoms of regurgitation vary based on the underlying cause.
Pay attention to specific symptoms when it comes to regurgitation in babies. Many of the symptoms that accompany regurgitation are due to the conditions that cause regurgitation, such as acid reflux and GERD.
Symptoms of acid reflux and GERD include:. When regurgitation happens frequently on its own without the other symptoms of acid reflux or GERD, it may be rumination syndrome. Due to the size of the esophagus in infants and babies, regurgitation is common in the early years of life. There are usually no other symptoms that accompany this condition outside of the regurgitation. However, if the regurgitation is a symptom of GERD, it may be accompanied by:.
If you notice your infant is having other symptoms, it may be an indicator of a more serious condition. Watch out for:. However, because GERD requires long-term dietary and lifestyle management, your doctor may want to perform some diagnostic tests. These tests can help your doctor determine the extent of esophageal damage and complications due to GERD.
To diagnose rumination syndrome, your doctor will first eliminate the possibility of other conditions, such as GERD. Additional testing may be necessary, including an EGD test and gastric emptying test. These tests look for any blockages or slowed transit time that may be causing the frequent regurgitation. One case study demonstrated that hour impedance pH monitoring is also an effective way to diagnose rumination syndrome.
However, if there are no additional symptoms, a diagnosis can be made if the regurgitation occurs at least twice daily for 3 weeks during the first year of life. The same functional tests doctors use to diagnose GERD in adults can also be used for infants. These include:. As you can imagine, these tests can be invasive for an infant.
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