Diagnosis of GERD
There are a number of ways in which GERD can be diagnosed. Diagnosis is quite
a complex procedure. When diagnosing for GERD, it is important to
ensure that symptoms are purely due to GERD and not any other underlying
problem. Sometimes some other conditions are mistaken as Acid Reflux
condition.
One of the most common symptoms of GERD is heartburn. Heartburn is caused due
to the acid reflux which is usually formed after meals, due to a
number of reasons. Patients complaining of heartburn are prescribed
drugs that help to neutralize the excess acid in the stomach. This
is often used to diagnose Acid Reflux condition and is known as
therapeutic trial. In case the patient finds relief from heartburn
by taking the prescribed drugs, he is a confirmed GERD. Well, this
method is not a completely accurate method of diagnosing GERD. Sometimes
more serious conditions can have these symptoms.
One of the common ways of diagnosing GERD is by Upper Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy. In this procedure, a small camera is inserted into the
oesophagus. This helps to examine the internal organs like oesophagus
and stomach so that inflammation if any, can be detected. This method
does not prove to be beneficial for many since the oesophagus looks
normal in many patients suffering from GERD. In some patients the
inflammation is easily visible and the gastrointestinal endoscopy
is helpful in diagnosing GERD. This endoscopic method is also helpful
in identifying ulcers. If any ulcers are formed you may be advised
for further diagnosis and immediate treatment. More serious problems
like cancer can be seen and identified by gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Hence this diagnostic method would be worth it, as it may reveal
underlying problems, if any.
In endoscopy, biopsies of the oesophagus taken can be helpful in
diagnosing serious problems like cancers or other infections. Though
this is in no way related to GERD, other life threatening diseases
can be identified.
A method called oesophageal acid testing is the most effective
way of diagnosing acid reflux condition. The people suffering from
GERD generally retain more amount of strong acid within their oesophagus.
Oesophageal acid testing works on this principle. The tests are
conducted to find the duration of retention of acid in oesophagus.
If the length is considerably longer, the patient is certain to
have GERD condition.
ENT specialists also carry additional tests on throat. A thorough
check up is done to find the cause of discomfort that can be acid
reflux and GERD. Prescribing acid suppressing medicines is also
a part of diagnosis of GERD. This is done to check if suppressing
the acids can provide some relief.
The tests available to diagnose GERD are numerous. All the tests
have different levels of accuracy. In some cases, a combination
of diagnosis is performed to get more accurate results. This helps
to ensure the patient is suffering due to acid reflux and not any
other underlying serious disease.
Acid reflux news on the Web
Anti-Hypertensive Drugs To Enhance Esophageal Contraction (Medical News Today) Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, was shown to decrease lower esophageal sphincter pressure and increase esophageal acid exposure time, while atenolol, a b1 blocker, was shown to inhibit relaxation of the smooth muscle of the esophagus. However, the influence of these anti-hypertensive drugs on the segment of esophageal body contraction using high-resolution manometry was not fully ... |
Dr. Paul Donohue: Dark beer won't prevent colon cancer (Detroit News) Dear Dr. Donohue: Several years ago, I read that dark beer prevents colon cancer. Since then, I've been drinking Guinness, one of the darkest I know of. I drink two bottles a week. Recently I read an article that said any type of beer could cause many types of cancer. Is there any truth to either? |
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