PT Health Life – Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which substances from the stomach, either food or acid, reflux into the esophagus in a natural process. Proper and timely treatment of the disease will minimize dangerous complications.
Gastroesophageal reflux affects daily life and can cause complications such as ulcers, strictures, esophageal bleeding, and even lead to cancer.
1. Typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux syndrome is also known as reflux esophagitis and has quite similar symptoms so it is easy to be confused with diseases such as stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, or laryngitis…
The most obvious symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux syndrome can include:
- Burning feeling behind the sternum in the middle of the chest, often occurring after meals or when bending forward, or when lying on your back; burning pain localized in the upper abdomen…
- Heartburn, nausea, vomiting accompanied by difficulty swallowing.
- Feeling of choking when swallowing as if there is a foreign object, or stuck behind the sternum or behind the pharynx.
- Hoarse voice.
- Difficulty breathing at night, sometimes having asthma-like attacks.
- Chest pain, often after meals or at night; The pain lasts for many hours, behind the sternum, does not spread to the side.
2. Dangerous complications of gastroesophageal reflux
Complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease can be seen immediately in the digestive tract, where the closest organs are the esophagus and the respiratory system. Typical examples include chronic rhinosinusitis, reflux esophagitis, esophageal stricture, esophageal cancer, and even sudden death in some cases of reflux in young children.
2.1 Respiratory tract inflammation
Even a small amount of acidic fluid reaching the upper respiratory tract can cause sore throat, sinusitis, bronchitis or lung inflammation. A common symptom is a prolonged cough. Patients have persistent cough and wheezing but do not respond or respond poorly to conventional treatment methods.
Some cases also have hoarseness due to thickening of the vocal cords in the throat. This is the result of stomach acid flowing into the pharynx. In addition, people with gastroesophageal reflux disease may have worn teeth, ear infections, etc.
2.2 Gastroesophageal reflux leads to narrowing of the esophagus
Stomach fluid often flows up into the esophagus, damaging the esophageal mucosa, causing inflammation. Therefore, gastroesophageal reflux is also known as reflux esophagitis.
Complications can cause patients to experience consequences such as: difficulty swallowing, painful swallowing, and chest pain. Especially pain behind the sternum when eating, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite. In addition, fibrosis due to inflammation can cause esophageal contraction.
2.3 Barrett’s esophagus
The esophagus will become inflamed to varying degrees, affecting eating. The most serious complication is Barrett’s esophagus. This is a condition in which the cells lining the lower esophagus change color, due to repeated exposure to stomach acid. Only a small percentage of people with gastroesophageal reflux will develop Barrett’s esophagus.
2.4 Stomach cancer
Esophageal cancer is common in people over 50 years old, accompanied by symptoms such as choking, vomiting, pain behind the sternum, persistent pain, hoarseness, constant coughing, chest pain, and floating infection syndrome. turn on. Sometimes enlarged lymph nodes are palpable in the left supraclavicular fossa or both sides. After a period of illness, the patient’s entire body loses weight. Within 1 month, she can lose more than 5kg due to choking and malnutrition.
Doctor’s advice
Step-by-step treatment aims to: control symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce the risk of complications. Treatment measures include: lifestyle changes, medical treatment, surgical treatment and other procedures. To do that, patients need:
- Develop a reasonable and scientific diet and lifestyle.
- Limit foods and drinks that contain stimulants
- Don’t drink a lot of water when eating. Eat many small meals throughout the day.
- Do not exercise or go to bed immediately after eating.
- You should sleep on your left side, because then the stomach and pancreas are located lower than the esophagus. This helps fight gastric reflux effectively.
- You should rest and relax.
- Practice gentle, moderate exercise.
