When you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as chronic heartburn or acid reflux, finding the right treatment can be tricky. While there’s no shortage of internet advice on at-home treatments and alternative therapies, the truth is that GERD is best treated with the help of a professional.
Here’s what you need to know about GERD treatment.
GERD is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscles that separates the esophagus from the stomach. When the LES operates normally, it opens to allow food to pass through to the stomach and closes to prevent stomach acid from entering the esophagus.
With GERD, stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, irritating the esophageal lining and causing heartburn or acid reflux. According to the Mayo Clinic, the threshold for a GERD diagnosis is when you have “mild acid reflux that occurs at least twice a week, or moderate to severe acid reflux that occurs at least once a week.”
GERD can be caused by any number of factors, including:
To get an official diagnosis, your doctor will review both your symptoms and your medical history. If that’s not enough to determine whether or not you have GERD, they then may perform one of the following procedures:
Left untreated, GERD can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, which in turn, increases the risk for esophageal cancer, so it’s important to treat your symptoms quickly.
Treatment is a stepped process, and depending on the severity of your symptoms, you either step-up treatment from least to most restrictive measures, or you step down from most to least restrictive.
For example, your doctor might ask you to make slight adjustments to your eating schedule, or ask you to go on an elimination diet to determine what, if any, trigger foods exacerbate your gastric distress. Finally, some doctors will recommend surgical options in extreme cases.
Treatment plans are highly individualized and should always be developed in conjunction with your doctor rather than solely based on internet research. After all, there’s no shortage of articles out there recommending homeopathic remedies without scientific evidence to back up their claims.
Here are the ways you can treat the digestive disease.
There is ample evidence to show the following habit changes can help treat symptoms:
If these simple lifestyle changes don’t work or aren’t doing enough, studies show weight loss can help to alleviate pressure on your organs. Weight management is often thought of as the first line of defense for GERD, as being overweight is one of the most common causes of the disease.
Part and parcel of treating GERD is determining whether or not you have trigger foods. According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, trigger foods can make your LES lazy (affect its ability to close properly).
The following foods are common triggers:
For more extreme cases of GERD, your doctor may suggest eliminating most or all trigger foods—independent of whether or not your doctor recommends weight loss—then slowly adding them back into your diet to both determine what exacerbates your symptoms and give your esophagus time to recover.
There are several OTC treatment options. Depending on your needs and the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend the following:
There are prescription-strength H2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors on the market, which your doctor may prescribe based on your needs.
Finally, if lifestyle and medical interventions are not helping, your doctor might suggest a surgical procedure.
Gastroenterology Associates can help restore you and your family to optimal digestive health, and is conveniently located adjacent to Long Island Center for Digestive Health (LICDH), a non-hospital outpatient facility committed to providing high-quality endoscopic and colonoscopic services. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us today!