General symptoms of GERD are heartburn, regurgitation and nausea.
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the middle of the chest caused due to nerve stimulation resulting from acid reflux into the esophagus.
Regurgitation is caused due to appearance of small quantities of liquid in the mouth resulting from reflux of liquid and/or food after passing through upper esophageal sphincter (UES) at the upper end of esophagus. The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is a circular ring of muscles similar in action to LES (2).
Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD. It feels like a burning chest pain right behind the breastbone. Pain may move upward toward the throat. It often is worse after meals. Bending over or lying down also may make heartburn worse. Standing up may bring relief. Heartburn often occurs after going to bed at night.
Other GERD symptoms include:
Burping-up, or regurgitation, of sour-tasting, acidy material into the mouth.
Difficult or painful swallowing.
Sore throat, hoarseness, and/or cough.
Wheezing in people with asthma A condition in which the small airways in the lungs are inflamed and become narrow when the person is exposed to something to which he or she is sensitive, causing difficulty in breathing.
Poor sleep habits and frequent waking
Nausea or spitting up more than one hour after eating
Refusing food and accepting only a few bites besides being hungry
Pain, irritability, stomach pain, constant crying
The main symptoms are persistent heartburn and acid regurgitation. Some people have GERD without heartburn. Instead, they experience pain in the chest, hoarseness in the morning, or trouble swallowing. You may feel like you have food stuck in your throat or like you are choking or your throat is tight. GERD can also cause a dry cough and bad breath.
Treatment & Prevention Options
Histamine antagonists:
A histamine antagonist blocks the histamine receptor (histamine stimulates acid producing cells) Therefore, by blocking the histamine receptors, the stimulation of acid producing cells can be prevented. Histamine antagonists are called H2 antagonists since they block histamine type 2 receptor. H2 antagonists are advised to be taken 30 minutes after the meals. Some of the H2 antagonists prescribed are Cimetidine (Tagamet), Ranitidine (Zantac), Nizatidine (Axid) and Famotidine (Pepcid).
Position
Gravity plays an important role in controlling reflux. Those of us who have a less than perfect lower esophageal sphincter (LES) find that if we lie down after a large meal, food comes back into the esophagus and heartburn occurs. If you experience heartburn, think whether it occurs after meals, when you lie in bed at night, or if you take a nap after a meal. Maintaining an upright posture until the meal is digested may prevent the heartburn. If heartburn occurs regularly at night, consider raising the head of the bed or inserting a triangular wedge to keep your esophagus above the stomach. Avoid exertion after a meal. It contracts the abdominal muscles and forces food through a weakened sphincter. This is especially true of tasks that require bending such as lifting or cleaning the floor.
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