Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when stomach acid flows back up and damages the esophagus, larynx, and mouth.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Le Thi Thuy Hang, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Facility 3.

Define

Gastroesophageal reflux is the phenomenon of gastric juice refluxing from the stomach into the esophagus, sometimes up to the mouth, which is not the case in normal people.

If the reflux does not reach the mouth, the patient will easily ignore it and not notice it until there are consequences such as inflammation or ulcers of the esophagus.

Symptom

- Burning pain behind the sternum.

- Heartburn.

- Difficulty swallowing (feeling of choking).

Reason

- Lower esophageal sphincter failure (due to taking certain medications, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate or fatty foods).

- Diaphragmatic hernia.

- Causes in the stomach (gastritis, stomach cancer, pyloric stenosis).

- Abdominal pressure increases suddenly when coughing, sneezing or straining.

- Other causes (stress, unhealthy eating habits such as overeating, eating at night, eating acidic fruits when hungry, eating fast food, fried food, obesity, congenital disease of weak lower esophageal sphincter, accident trauma)...

Some diseases are easily confused with gastroesophageal reflux

- Gastritis.

- Infectious esophagitis.

- Esophagitis due to drug cysts.

- Unexplained angina.

- Functional dyspepsia.

Treatment

- Adjust eating habits.

* Do not eat too much at each meal, eat many meals, 4-5 meals a day, eat small meals at each meal.

* Do not eat liquids, eat solid, dry foods.

* After eating, you should not lie down too much, sit in a forward-leaning position, or sleep with your head tilted up.

* Completely eliminate some foods that reduce sphincter tone such as chocolate, tobacco, coffee, fat, carbonated mineral water, and carbonated drinks.

* Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, avoid swallowing air into the stomach.

- Take medicine.

- Acupuncture and other methods such as thread implantation, auricular acupuncture, hydroacupuncture combined with medicine increase the effectiveness of treatment.

- Heat therapy such as moxibustion, infrared lamp therapy or herbal compresses help warm the abdomen.

- Acupressure massage: massage the middle burner combined with remote and local acupressure, combined with 4-period breathing with raised buttocks and legs to help stimulate digestion and reduce reflux.

- Surgery.

Prevent

- Reduce constipation.

- Do not tighten the belt.

- Do exercise.

- Losing weight.

- Do not use tobacco and alcoholic beverages.

- Avoid eating fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, lemon juice, avoid bending forward after eating, avoid lying down sooner than 3 hours after eating, sleep with your head elevated at night, avoid wearing a corset that is too tight.

- Avoid drugs that can increase reflux: contraceptives, antispasmodics, sedatives, theophylline, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, nitrates.

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