Two or three things about reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux is a common digestive system disease, which refers to the acidic gastric juice in the stomach flowing back into the esophagus, causing a series of symptoms and complications. This article will introduce gastroesophageal reflux from the aspects of cause, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

1. Causes Reflux is the reflux of food from the stomach to the esophagus - the principle is the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The incidence of this disease in my country is about 12.5%, which is a very high incidence disease.

Its symptoms include heartburn, acid reflux, chest pain, upper abdominal discomfort, belching, throat discomfort and so on.

Reflux is caused by 8 types of people, including those over 40 years old, those who sit for a long time, those who are obese, those with a family history of gastrointestinal diseases, those who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, those who smoke, drink alcohol, overeat, and those who are anxious and depressed.

Hazard 1: Eating, sleeping, and working will be affected;

Harm 2: Leading to mental illness - anxiety, depression and feeling like you have a terminal illness;

Hazard 3: Cough, sleep apnea syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, esophageal adenocarcinoma

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3 treatment methods:

(1) Lifestyle intervention;

(2) Drug treatment

(3) Surgical treatment (endoscopic, anti-reflux surgery)

Five changes to adjust your lifestyle:

1. Avoid overeating, only eat until you are 80% full, and avoid eating 2-3 hours before going to bed.

2. Say no to obesity---control your weight

3. Refuse to drink alcohol, tobacco, strong tea and coffee

4. Maintain the golden 30-degree angle when sleeping.

5. Stay optimistic and build confidence in overcoming the disease.

Do we also need to evaluate the esophagus through endoscopic examination under lifestyle intervention?

Image source: Pixabay

4. Drug selection: The degree of esophageal injury needs to be observed after the internal diameter is assessed - none, mild, moderate, or severe; and there are three treatment options - maintenance treatment, on-demand treatment, and active treatment (for severe esophageal injury);

Warm reminder: Regular follow-up is necessary after treatment.

Everyone, stay away from food reflux and enjoy healthy food!

Source: Chongqing Banan District Second People's Hospital

Author: Liu Huarong, Department of Internal Medicine

Review expert: Tu Xiuying, chief physician

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