Wednesday, September 03, 2008 Gerd Vader By Zosimo T. Literatus, R.M.T. Breakthroughs
SOME physicians may call this by another name, but there is such a condition as gastroesophageal reflux disease (Gerd).
Patients with Gerd experience symptoms like heartburn and regurgitation.
Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart, though; still, it is a burning discomfort at the segment of the esophagus. It is brought about by regurgitation (reflux of acids from the stomach). It often develops into reflux esophagitis (inflammation of the stomach line due to exposure from regurgitated stomach acids).
A recent study by eight surgeons — headed by Michele Grande, from the University Hospital Tor Vergata in Rome, Italy — found new scientific evidence, all derived information, about Gerd.
Of the 146 patients participating in the study, with ages ranging from 23 to 89, 24 percent were diagnosed for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It has a historical incidence rate of 35 percent.
Hiatal hernia (protrusion of tissues at the opening of the diaphragm to esophagus) was found in 66.4 percent of the patients, 25 percent of which also diagnosed positive for H. pylori.
Normally, the esophagus (food pipe) goes through the hiatus (opening in the diaphragm) and connects to the stomach. But when the stomach and the esophagus slide up into the chest through the hiatus, there is acid regurgitation.
If the hernia becomes obstructive to passage, urgent attention must be given to the patient. The condition is regarded as a medical emergency.
The danger is that the stomach can become “strangled” and its blood supply shut off.
Reflux esophagitis (the inflammation of the lining of the esophagus due to regurgitation of stomach acids) is observed in 28 percent of patients.
Gerd also impairs the regular movement of the esophagus, and it is observed in 76 percent of patients (28 percent with H. pylori infection).
According to online medical advisory WebMD, treatment of Gerd is aimed at reducing the abnormal backflow of stomach acid and juices into the esophagus, which can cause injury to its lining; and to help in healing once injury has already occurred. That includes intake of over-the-counter acid blockers and the need to have an endoscopy when the symptoms are severe or the condition has been around for a long time.
Foods to avoid are those known to stimulate the stomach. These include spicy or fatty foods, chocolate, drinks containing caffeine or alcohol, smoking, and intake of certain medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Long-term approach to control Gerd is essentially a lifestyle modification.
And lifestyle modification is something we must pay for in effort and time.
Football player Thomas Leonard, founder of Coachville, a global school for coaches, observed: “A lifestyle is what you pay for; a life is what pays you.”
