GERD

If you’ve ever experienced heartburn, you know how uncomfortable that fiery, burning sensation in your chest that moves into your neck and throat can be. Sometimes you may even experience a sour or bitter taste in your mouth or have trouble swallowing. Heartburn, or acid reflux, typically lasts for only a short while, but when it becomes persistent, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is defined as having symptoms of acid reflux twice or more times a week. Acid reflux or heartburn occurs when stomach contents and acids spill over into your esophagus. That’s what causes the burning sensation and chest pain.

Reflux disease is a chronic and progressive condition. Left untreated, GERD can lead to more serious issues like Barrett’s esophagus, esophagitis and esophageal strictures. That’s why we offer a full range of advanced diagnostic tests to pinpoint and treat the cause of GERD.

The Stages of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Stages of GERD are determined by the severity, frequency and longevity of reflux episodes. Longer and more frequent bouts of acid reflux can cause more significant damage to the esophagus.

Stage 1: Mild GERD

With mild GERD, you typically experience only mild symptoms once or twice a month. The best treatment for mild GERD is to make lifestyle and diet changes and use over-the-counter acid suppressing medications.

Stage 2: Moderate GERD

With moderate GERD, you begin to experience more frequent symptoms, which may impair your daily activities. A daily prescription acid suppressive medication is first line defense for moderate GERD.

Stage 3: Severe GERD

With severe GERD, you have poorly controlled symptoms on prescription medications. Esophageal inflammation is common, and your quality of life is likely lower.

Stage 4: Reflux induced precancerous lesions or esophageal cancer

If your GERD symptoms are left unmanaged for many years, you are likely in stage 4 GERD. About 10% of patients with long-term GERD progress to this pre-cancerous stage.

If you feel that you’re in stage 3 or stage 4 GERD, it’s time to see an expert at Saint Francis. Our gastroenterologists have unmatched experience in the diagnosis of and minimally invasive treatment options for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Our goal is to treat the cause, not the symptoms to ensure that you achieve greater health and wellness.

Treating GERD

Treatment options depend on the disease stage. If you’re in the mild to moderate stages of GERD, please contact one of our gastroenterologists for a treatment plan. Many people can manage the discomfort of GERD with diet and lifestyle changes. Others may need stronger medications or surgery. If left untreated over a long period of time, chronic inflammation in your esophagus can lead to difficulty swallowing or Barrett's esophagus which is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

Risk Factors of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Hiatal hernias, obesity and pregnancy can increase your risk of GERD. Other lifestyle factors that may aggravate acid reflux include:

Being overweight
Drinking alcohol, coffee or carbonated beverages
Eating late at night
Eating foods such as citrus, chocolate, processed snacks and cheese
Eating foods that are tomato-based, fatty, fried or spicy
Overeating
Smoking
Taking certain medications, such as aspirin

To lessen your risk of GERD, lose weight if you’re overweight, avoid foods that cause your symptoms to flare up, eat smaller meals, do not lie down after eating, elevate your head in bed, review your medications, quit smoking, cut back on alcohol, wear loose-fitting clothing and change your diet. A gluten-free, high-fiber diet may help alleviate your GERD symptoms.

It's important to not pass off chest pain as merely heartburn, especially if you also have shortness of breath, or jaw or arm pain. These may be signs and symptoms of a heart attack.