GERD is nothing but an acronym of Gastro-esophageal reflux disease. In simple words, it denotes that the contents of the stomach are being pushed back in to the esophagus.

Since the stomach contents are naturally acidic; this acid reflux in to the esophagus can irritate the lining of the esophagus and chronic irritation can finally culminate in inflammation of the esophagus.

What are the usual causes?

• The problem usually lies in the improper or imperfect closure of the sphincter that guards the lower opening of esophagus, and is situated between the lower end of the esophagus and the upper end of the stomach.
• Many a times, a hiatal hernia may also be the cause of reflux. In such cases, the anterior end of the stomach herniates or protrudes above the diaphragm
• Other factors which can further aggravate the reflux are Obesity, smoking and pregnancy.

Can medications cause or aggravate GERD?

There are a lot of medications that can in fact lead to GERD or aggravate the symptoms in patients with GERD. Here is the list of such drugs:

• Anticholinergics
• Beta blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Sedatives
• Antidepressants
• Progestin
• Dopamine derivatives

What are the symptoms of GERD?

The symptoms of GERD can be quite troublesome and are all related to the irritation of the alimentary canal. Some of the most common symptoms are listed below:

• Feeling that food or some thing was trapped behind the breastbone
• Feeling of nausea, that comes on immediately after consuming meals
• Severe burning sensation in the chest
• The heartburn is typically aggravated by a change in posture that increases the pressure on the stomach like while bending, stooping or even after eating.

How is GERD treated?

• GERD can be treated with a 3 pronged approach.
• The first step is to ensure that all aggravating factors or causes are removed.
• So that means avoiding smoking, alcohol or consumption of foods that worsen the symptoms.
• If you are consuming any of the medications given in the above list, then you would need to discuss this with your doctor. He or she will prescribe a safer alternative or at least reduce the dosage, so as to avoid side effects
• The second step is to make certain changes in your lifestyle. You need to make certain changes in your routine like exercising regularly to reduce weight, avoiding any kind of activity that increases the abdominal pressure after eating, avoiding tight clothes or belts and sleeping on an inclined cot; so as to keep your head well above the stomach etc.
• The 3^rd step is needed only if there is no relief from adopting measures 1 and 2. The 3^rd step involves surgical treatment and a common procedure that is done is known as Nissen Fundoplication.

Image via Wikipedia