Monday, October 13, 2008

Reflux

I attended a wonderful course this weekend. I won't bore you with the details (i.e., esophageal swallowing function, saliva production, etc.), but I would like to mention some facts on GERD and LPR.

GER or gastroesophageal reflux is when stomach acid and stomach contents move backward and into the esophagus. We all have that at some time, however, when it becomes regular it can become very damaging. This is then called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. It can even cause or exacerbate failure to thrive, anemia, apnea, pneumonia, and even cancer of the esophagus. LPR or laryngopharyngeal reflux is when the backflow of acid travels to the level of the throat (or above).

GERD can become silent, while you battle many of the symptoms wondering why you have such a hoarse voice or difficulty swallowing, etc. If you feel you have reflux, I urge you to contact your doctor. Left untreated, it can create many health problems. Treatment often involves making environmental changes (e.g., diet changes, looser clothing, eating at a different time, etc.) and medications (OTC or prescription).

Before this course, I had no idea how many things could be attributed to reflux symptoms. I was left to wonder if my daughter doesn't have reflux instead of or in addition to the asthma symptoms we've witnessed the last couple of months. Resources mentioned during the course included gastroatlas.com and heartburnalliance.org.

As always, this information is in no way intended to diagnose or point you to any one treatment. Please seek the advice of a medical professional before beginning any type of medication, medical treatment. (How's my lawyer-ese?)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rachel,
Great information! My husband and myself both suffer from GERD and we both take prescribed medicine to control it.
Also, your disclaimer was fine and very appreciated by me. Being a former practicing RN I try to do the same thing on my Blog when I talk about Stroke related issues.
Thanks, Lori