GE reflux

GE reflux

 Gastroesophageal reflux, see there

---

Patient discussion about GE reflux.

Q. can a woman ger pregnant if she misses a few birth control pills? my girlfriend missed 2 this month and now her period is a bit late. should I be woried?

A. Even on birth control it is possible to get pregnant. Birth control pills are not always 100% perfect in preventing pregnancy. Has she ever missed any pills in the past? Her body may be trying to re-adjust and that can be a reason why she is "late."

Q. how do you deal with a mild case of acid reflux

A. You can start with life style changes: if you have symptoms during the night, you can try to elevate the head of your bed. You can try to avoid foods that induce reflux: fatty foods, chocolate, peppermint, and excessive alcohol. Cola, red wine, and orange juice are very acidic, so it would be wise to avoid them too, In addition to these, you can try to use a diary to reveal which kind of food causes symptoms and avoid it.

Try to refrain from lying down immediately after a meal, or eating just before bedtime. Overweight is a risk factor for reflux, so if it's relevant weight reduction is also recommended.

If you feel heartburn, you may chew in order to increase salivation and thus alleviate the symptoms. Smoking has a negative effect on salivation, so smoking cessation is also recommended.

And that's before we even mentioned OTC drugs...

Q. is there anything to cure G.E.R.D. instead of taking pills daily?

A. there is no known way to "cure" but it can be manageable. there's a somewhat new procedure -An endoscope. Using this scope, doctors can treat the lower part of the esophagus to improve how it works. These nonsurgical procedures are somewhat new. There is not enough scientific evidence yet to talk about how well they work.
here is a nice tutorial about it:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/uppergiendoscopy/htm/lesson.htm

and of course you can avoid some types of food and habits (sorry...long and tasty list...):
http://heartburn.about.com/cs/dietfood/a/heartburnfoods3.htm