Heartburn

Heartburn or Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) occurs when stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus. This is also known as acid reflux. It is normally a chronic condition which means that if you have it once, you may have recurring episodes for the rest of your life. It is very common and between 10-20% of the population suffers from it each week.

What causes GORD?

One of the main causes of GORD is a problem with the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) muscle, located at the bottom of the oesophagus. The LOS opens to let food into the stomach and closes it to prevent any acid leaking back up the oesophagus. In people with GORD, the LOS becomes weak and allows stomach acid back into the oesophagus.

Other causes may include an increased pressure to your stomach and your stomach taking longer than normal to dispose of stomach acid. There are also a number of risk factors that can increase your chances of developing GORD:

• Being overweight or obese,
• A diet high in fatty food,
• Being pregnant,
• Stress,
• Having a hiatus hernia,
• Taking certain medication, and
• Using tobacco, alcohol, coffee and chocolate

What are GORD Symptoms?

The symptoms usually occur after a large meal or at night. They feel worse when you lie flat. You will probably feel a burning sensation that rises from your stomach, lower chest, up towards your neck. It is also characterized by the regurgitation of acid into your throat, mouth, which may cause an unpleasant sour taste in your mouth.

Treatment of GORD

Treating and preventing GORD involves avoiding the triggers. Some of the self care things one can do to relieve the symptoms include

• Consider quitting to smoke,
• Try eating smaller, more frequent meals rather than three large meals a day,
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, chocolate, fatty or spicy foods,
• Consider losing weight if you are overweight, and
• Raise the head of your bed to avoid lying flat

You can also take over the counter medication like antacids to neutralize the effects of stomach acid. If these do not work, you can use proton-pump inhibitors, Prokinetics and H2-receptor antagonists.

Preventing GORD involves living a healthy lifestyle. Though the condition is not life threatening, it can be very uncomfortable. Eating healthy food and frequent exercise can either stop or reduce the effects of GORD.

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