Living with and Managing GERD

GERD is quite a serious condition. Every year more and more people are diagnosed with GERD. This condition has various symptoms and is found to cause pain and great discomfort in patients. There are numerous ways in which the condition can be handled. By properly managing the condition you can make your life easier by reducing the pain and uneasiness. The type of approach to be made depends on the severity of the condition.

Some people have mild symptoms like heartburn. Such patients can manage the condition through simple lifestyle changes. All that is required is altering the diet, cutting out acidic, fatty and spicy foods, giving up smoking etc. In case you don't find any relief from these lifestyle changes you may use antacid medicines. These drugs neutralise the acid content in the stomach and hence provide relief from the discomfort. When you do not find any improvement, you should consult your doctor and seek medical help to handle the problem.

When you are suffering from some severe symptoms like lung problems, an acid suppressing therapeutic trial in combination with histamine antagonists is given to diminish the acid production in the stomach and check that there are no other underlying problems. If you find the treatment effective and no further symptoms are found, this treatment can be continued for a long term relief from GERD.

When you experience further problems and complications after this medication, an endoscopic diagnosis is done to have a closer look at your internal organs. This will show any damage to the oesophagus caused and also lets the physician know of ulcers and inflammation, if present.

If the symptoms do not diminish with treatment you may have to go for some other options. One such option is 24 hour PH testing. Or you can go for additional drugs such as pro-motility drugs. This may help you get relief from the severe symptoms. But in case these fail, the only option available is surgery. Surgery is a highly effective treatment which is found to cause relief in many patients. But like any other surgery, this too has a number of complications and side effects associated with it. Hence before deciding to have surgery, it is necessary that you know all the risks and complications that may arise.

With GERD life may seem quite problematic. You'll need to work to make it easy. Firstly, it is important to avoid eating fatty and spicy foods which increase the acid production. Also avoid foods that may not suit your digestive system. Maintain a proper diet and follow a regular exercise to keep yourself fit. Drinking occasionally may not be that bad but you'll have to quit smoking as smoking often adds to acidic content and increases your symptoms. So, you can live well even when you have GERD provided you learn to live properly.

Acid reflux news on the Web

Ask Doctor Bachus-Keith about heartburn and acid reflux (The Manning Times)
If you are experiencing heartburn (a burning sensation in your chest), burning that spreads to your throat, a sour taste in your mouth, possible hoarseness or trouble swallowing, you may have acid reflux.

DMH offers monthly prescription drug reviews (Herald & Review)
DECATUR - Between the two of them, Judy Cornell, 68, and herhusband Jim, 71, take about 25 prescriptions, over-the-counterdrugs, vitamins and supplements for conditions such as heartdisease, diabetes, glaucoma and acid reflux.

Fairgoers learn about local health services (Eastern Arizona Courier)
The annual Gila Valley Health and Safety Fair featured 52 exhibitors that provided information about a variety of health services available in Graham County — including a new incisionless procedure to correct acid reflux.

Health calendar: 3/10/10 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Special events: Community Care, which is part of UPMC, is sponsoring its annual spring conference, "Creating Hope: Developing Communities of Care for Children, Youth, Young Adults and Families."

Vareli’s menu is big fat Greek jumble (Columbia Daily Spectator)
Amidst the chain restaurants and dingy diners that line Broadway, Westside Market owner George Zoitas and chef Amitzur Mor have fashioned a romantically lit hideaway that falls victim to distraction.

ETEX receives FDA marketing clearance for CarriGen Porous Bone Substitute Material (News-Medical-Net)
ETEX Corporation, an advanced biomaterials company, announced today that the FDA has granted 510(k) clearance of CarriGen® Porous Bone Substitute Material. CarriGen is available for immediate sale through ETEX's independent sales force. CarriGen builds upon the clinically proven benefit of ETEX nanocrystalline calcium phosphate technology by adding the advantage of increased porosity and pore ...

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 ...

New guidelines question once-a-day aspirin intake (Minnesota Public Radio)
Some medical experts in the U.S. and the U.K., have come to the conclusion that too many people have been taking low-dose aspirin. New guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Health Services Task Force are giving more clarity about who should be taking it.

Bring harmony into your life (Peninsula News Review)
What does it mean to be in a harmonious relationship?

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?