Let’s discuss the GERD Complications and Treatment

GERD or also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease is a disease where the sphincters present in the stomach fails to prevent the bi-directional flow of the foods or the liquids and thus the food from the stomach could enter into the esophagus thus triggering different symptoms which could lead to serious complications.

Complications:
                      
1.    Nausea and vomiting are less severe complications that arise due to GERD. Since there is reflux of acids from the stomach region into the esophagus, hence there will be frequently occurring of nausea and vomiting of the person suffering from the GERD.

2.    Difficulty in eating is another complication of the GERD and it often thus show in case of patients suffering from GERD. Since there are acids parent in the stomach and the esophagus, it will cause irritation and thus, there will come a point where eating will become more and more difficult.

3.    Respiratory issues are also not uncommon in case person suffering from the GERD. The reflux acids will cause various chains of reactions which will eventually influence other symptoms also and thus, the respiratory system also could have affected where there could be difficulty in breathing.

4.    There could also be inflammation of the esophagus if the situation continues for a longer period of time. As the acids come in contact with the walls of the esophagus since the esophagus isn’t built for facing high acidity, the walls will start to get inflamed and eventually, an ulcer can take place. Hence, GERD eventually could result in ulcers and hence, people should be very careful if they are showing the symptoms of the GERD.

5.    There could also be complication regarding a hiatal hernia. Since it helps in regurgitation of the acid into the esophagus, hence if there is suspicion over a hiatal hernia, the hiatal hernia treatment should be carried out immediately thus preventing any other further complications.

Treatment

There are various treatments available for GERD depending upon the severity of the condition.

1.    Diet could reduce the effect of GERD and heartburn to a greater extent. High protein diet could reduce the complications to a great deal and hence if you are suffering from GERD, then you should incorporate high protein in your diet recipes of which can be found in RefluxMD.

2.    There are several preventions you can take so that the reflux stays in lesser frequencies:

a.       Overeating should be completely prohibited.
b.      Smoking should also be prohibited.
c.       Tight clothing, especially around the abdomen, should not be worn.
d.      If while sleeping, the head is elevated, it could prevent GERD.
e.       There should be hours gap between eating and sleeping.

3.    Medications also help in the treatment of GERD which includes antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors. Antacids work well if taken at the start of the GERD while H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors work via the mechanism of reducing the secretion of the stomach acids or blocking the secretion of the acids altogether. Proton pump inhibitors especially work well against GERD.

4.    If complications still persist, then the surgical option should also be considered.

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