Archive for the ‘The Gastrointestinal System’ Category

What is GERD?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Have you ever had the feeling like there is burning pain going up from your stomach as if following an imaginary line to your chest? Sometimes you can’t hardly breathe and you thought you were having angina or chest pain, but then you found out it’s only acid reflux or what is commonly known as heartburn.

Alcohol lovers would regularly like to match their drink with spicy dishes and oily and fatty foods. This ideal mix makes the drinking perfect to the palate. Unfortunately though, this is bad for the esophagus and the belly. The alcohol, the spicy dishes and the oily and greasy foods causes acid reflux or commonly known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease ( GERD ). Pregnancy, gastrointestinal tract infections, heredity, and the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or NSAIDS are just some of the other causes of GERD.

The acidic backwash has effects on the belly and the esophagus. The cardiac sphincter is the opening to the belly from the esophagus. Its function is to stop reflux of the substances in the gut because these substances cause esophageal irritation and ulcer. If the cardiac sphincter fails to shut after receiving food from the esophagus, acidic burn happens. Once an individual suffers from it, it becomes a life-long trial. Injury in the esophagus is also a lingering condition. Whether or not the esophagus has healed with treatment and it is being stopped, the injury will return in most patients within just a few months. Once treatment for claimed sickness is started, it sometimes must be continued indefinitely.

Usually , liquid reflux in the belly happens to a healthy individual. On the other hand, folks with the acidic reflux or GERD, has more acid in the liquid. This can be due to the genetic influences, particularly, an increasing number of parietal cells which produce pepsin in the belly. The body has mechanisms to guard itself from the damaging consequences of reflux and acid. Most reflux occurs during the moment when people are upright. In said position, the refluxed liquid is rather more likely to flow back down into the gut due to gravity. Likewise , while individuals are awake, they continually swallow, in any case if there’s reflux or not. Everytime people swallow the reflux liquid slide into the gut. The last body defense to reflux is the salivary glands in the mouth. Each time an individual swallows, the bicarbonate-containing spit slides down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralises the small quantity of acid that remains in the esophagus.

Fundamentally , acid reflux drugs inhibit the production or release of pepsin produced by the chief cells and hydrochloric acid produced by the parietal cells in the belly. Other drugs may not completely restrain the production but they neutralise the acid. The acidic backwash drugs are the Histamine Blockers or the H2 receptor opponents. Histamine excites a pump in the belly that releases hydrochloric acid. The H2 receptor antagonists stop the histamine from exciting this pump. They block the production of the hydrochloric acid so reducing secretion and concentration into the gut.

One of the acid reflux drugs is the Cimetidine which was introduced in 1975. It’s got a short half-life and short period of action. The 3 preferred H2 blockers are Ranitidine, Famotidine and Nizatidine. They’re more strong than Cimetidine because while they are good in obstructing stomach acid secretions, they also promote healing of the ulcer by getting rid of its cause.

As the cliche goes, an ounce of prevention is way better than a pound of cure. You can avoid having an acid reflux disease or GERD by avoiding too much smoking and alcohol, and by eating less of spicy and oily food. When taking NSAIDs, be certain you take it after meals. Ultimately , avoid stress as it excites the release of the dangerous acid.

Now that you have a better understanding of this condition, you may want to relax and just take one of the medications mentioned above, but be sure to seek the advice of your doctor if it persists.