GERD

GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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GERD

abbr.

gastroesophageal reflux disease

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GERD

A chronic condition in which the lower esophageal sphincter allows gastric acids to reflux into the esophagus, causing heartburn, acid indigestion, and possible injury to the esophageal lining.

Mentioned in: Proton Pump Inhibitors

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GERD,

abbreviation for gastroesophageal reflux disease. See gastroesophageal reflux.

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GERD,

n.pr See disease, gastro-esophageal reflux.

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GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn, reflux gastroenteritis GI disease A constellation of findings caused by the chronic backflow of gastric acid into the esophagus; affects 20-40 million, US; 80% also have a hiatal hernia Clinical Heartburn, dyspepsia, regurgitation, aspiration, coughing Diagnosis Esophagoscopy, barium swallow, Bernstein test Endoscopy 90% GERD Pts have endoscopic inflammation at EG junction DiffDx Angina/AMI Management Antacids, lifestyle modification, antisecretory prescription drugs–proton pump inhibitors, H₂ blockers, rarely, surgery Prognosis GERD can lead to scarring and stricture of the esophagus, and require dilating; 10% develop Barrett's esophagus which ↑ the risk of adenoCA of esophagus; 80% of GERDs also have hiatal hernia. See Proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers.

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Patient discussion about GERD.

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