Reflux

Put a freeze on frequent heartburn. Find out if GERD may be causing that uncomfortable burning sensation, then care for the symptoms. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

• Try a little licorice

  Support mucous-membrane healing by chewing 250 to 500 mg of deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) before meals and bedtime.

• Kick unhealthy habits

  Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol to ease irritation that could lead to cancer of the esophagus.

• Uncover the irritants

  Experiment with your diet to find out what triggers the discomfort; high-fat foods, spicy foods, peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, and acidic beverages are all potential culprits.

• Schedule your meals

  Avoid eating prior to exercise and right before bedtime to reduce symptoms.

• Slim down

  Aim for a healthy weight to reduce your risk of developing GERD.

• Don’t overdo alcohol

  Avoid excessive alcohol use that weakens the esophageal sphincter and increases the risk of GERD symptoms.

• Address your stress

  To reduce the impact of stress on GERD risk, find a program that includes group counseling, instruction in coping skills, relaxation training, and other helpful techniques for stress reduction.

• Keep your kid smoke-free

  Avoid exposing your infant child to secondhand smoke, as it has been linked with GERD.

• Check your child for allergies

  See a health professional to find out if your infant child has allergies to milk or other proteins that can increase the risk of GERD.

About This Condition

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder of the esophagus that causes frequent symptoms of heartburn. The esophagus is the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. GERD occurs when a muscular ring called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is weakened, which permits irritating stomach contents to pass up into the esophagus, resulting in heartburn.

Sometimes regurgitation of acid and food as high as the mouth can occur. Chronic irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid can eventually cause ulceration and scarring and might lead to cancer of the esophagus, especially in people who smoke and/or consume large amounts of alcohol.

Symptoms

People with GERD have heartburn, which usually feels like a burning pain that begins in the chest and may travel upward to the throat. Many people also feel a regurgitation of stomach contents into the mouth, leaving an acid or bitter taste. Some people with GERD may also have coughing while lying down, increased production of saliva, and difficulty sleeping after eating.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Smoking weakens the LES and is a strong risk factor for GERD. A study of infants with GERD found that exposure to cigarette smoke in the environment is associated with reflux, leading the authors conclude that secondhand smoke contributes directly to GERD in infants. No similar studies on environmental smoke have been done with adults. Psychological stress and alcohol have also been shown to be associated with the weakening of the LES and symptoms of GERD.

A number of studies have found that obesity increases the risk of GERD, though one study found no association between severe obesity and GERD. Obese people tend to have weaker sphincters, and they more often develop a condition related to GERD called hiatal hernia, in which the upper part of the stomach protrudes above the diaphragm, resulting in a deformed LES. It has been suggested that obesity may contribute to GERD by increasing abdominal pressure, but this mechanism has not been proven. The benefit of weight loss for obese patients with GERD is controversial. Some researchers have found that symptoms of GERD are reduced with weight loss, while others have seen no change with weight loss and even increased symptoms in patients with massive weight loss.

Lying down prevents gravity from keeping the stomach contents well below the opening from the esophagus. For this reason, many authorities recommend that people with GERD avoid lying down sooner than three hours after a meal, and suggest elevating the head of the bed to prevent symptoms during sleep.

GERD occurs more frequently during exercise than at rest, and can be a cause of chest pain or abdominal pain during exertion. One study found that increased intensity of exercise resulted in increased reflux in both trained athletes and untrained people. In another study, running produced more reflux than less jarring activities, such as bicycling, while weight training produced few reflux symptoms. Eating just before exercise has been found to further aggravate GERD. On the other hand, a recent survey found that people who participate in little recreational activity were more likely than active people to be hospitalized for GERD. It makes sense for people with GERD to use exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, perhaps choosing activities that are less likely to cause reflux symptoms.

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