Is Acid Reflux a disease and if so what are the causes?
Friday, May 14th, 2010 at
10:03 am
As a child in he 3rd grade i can remember having chest and abdomen pains. So my mom took me to the doctor and he told her i have acid reflux. He also told her to give me Tums. but it was so long ago that i forgot all about it and for the past 4 years i have been having those painful pains and burning throats with loss of appetite when i feel the pain . So I told my mom again and she remembered. what I want to know is if its a disease & can I get rid of it or can it be cured. Im only 18 so I want to take care of it because I like to eat!
Tagged with: Acid • causes • Disease • Reflux
Filed under: Acid Reflux in Children
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no acid reflux is NOT a disease it is what causes u to throw up. your stomach fills up to the point where the enzymes (material that brakes up protein) in your stomach acid cannot digest your food due to “overflowing” and you throw up.
go to the friggin’ doctor already. You can cancer if not treated right away.
I would also bet that you eat before you go to bed a lot. RIGHT??
Do not eat at least 3 hours before beddy bye time. And drink more water that does not contain soda and all of that other fine healthy crap.
KAPICHE??
Well ther is a condition called GERD- gastero-esophageal reflux disease. It’s chronic acid reflux. It can be managed with H2 inhibitors like zantac, pepcid, tagamet. But you should follow up with your doctor to make sure you do have a proble.
Laparoscopic antireflux surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that corrects GERD by creating an improved valve mechanism at the bottom of the esophagus. To correct GERD, the surgeon wraps the upper part of the stomach (called the fundus) around the lower portion of the esophagus. This creates a tight sphincter so that food will not reflux back into the esophagus.
Who Is a Candidate for Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery?
Reflux patients who meet the following criteria are likely candidates for laparoscopic antireflux surgery.
Have not had previous abdominal surgery
Have small hiatal hernias without complications of GERD
Experience most symptoms of GERD when lying down
Have no history of bleeding disorders
Are not pregnant
Have no other underlying medical problems, such as heart or lung disease
Not all GERD patients are candidates for laparoscopic surgery. More invasive procedures, such as laparotomy (requires opening the abdomen) and thoracotomy (opening the chest), may be necessary for some people. Talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you.
Will Laparoscopic Surgery Cure Chronic Heartburn?
Although more than 90% of patients undergoing this procedure are initially cured of chronic heartburn, experts aren’t sure if this is a permanent cure. New devices and procedures are being studied to improve the benefit to those who are not able to find relief with medications.
Treating Heartburn With Surgery
Often heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be managed medically; however, a small percentage of GERD sufferers do not respond to lifestyle changes or drug treatments and may require GERD surgery.
Surgery to treat GERD is controversial. Newer studies are questioning whether surgery is better than medical therapy and if the procedure truly cures the condition.
When Is Surgery Necessary for GERD?
When medical or drug treatment has failed to control symptoms.
When the sphincter muscle is unable to work properly.
When patients can’t afford or do not want to take medication to treat their symptoms.
When esophageal cancer develops from chronic GERD.
If left untreated, chronic GERD can cause long-term complications
What Is Laparoscopic Surgery for GERD?
Laparoscopic surgery is an alternative to traditional surgery, which usually requires long and deep incisions and a lengthy recovery. Laparoscopic surgery, which is minimally invasive, eliminates the need for large incisions. A laparoscope is a thin, telescope-like instrument with a miniature video camera and light source on the end, which transmits images to a video monitor. The surgeon watches the video screen to perform the procedure using special instruments that pass through small incisions in the patient’s body.
What Are the Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgery for GERD?
Smaller incisions, and therefore, little or no scarring
Shortened hospital stay
Less risk of infection or bleeding after surgery
Faster recovery
Less pain
Faster return to normal activities
Lower overall costs
What Is Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery for GERD?
Are There Other Treatment Options for Heartburn and GERD?
New techniques are being developed that involve the use of an endoscope (a thin, flexible, lighted tube) which is passed through the mouth and into the esophagus. One such procedure is the Stretta procedure. Like laparoscopic surgery for heartburn and GERD, it is not yet clear if these procedures will lead to a permanent cure.
Acid Reflux is not a disease. There are many things that you can take to help it, i know prevacid works.
The best site to go to is http://www,WebMD.com and read up on it
You are right to be concerned about this, because it can severely damage the lining of your stomach and it may have already done damage to your esophagus, since you’ve had this condition for a while. Prescription drugs(Nexium, Prilosec) may be important at this stage, so you should see a doctor.
Tums is not enough based on those symptoms, the over the counter drugs maybe helpful: Prilosec, Zantac 150, Pepcid.
It may be helpful to raise the head-side of your bed a few inches.
Read the information from this link…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/esophagitis/DS01154