Gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD) is a common disorder which affects
millions of Americans annually and is one of the
most common reasons for patients to seek medical
advice or self-medicate with over-the-counter
antacid medications for relief of symptoms.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease may manifest in many
different ways with heartburn being the most common
symptom. Most patients who experience heartburn
describe a discomfort in the chest or abdomen that
may or may not be associated with ingestion of food.
More recent evidence implicates GERD as a
contributing factor to other disorders such as
laryngitis and asthma. Complications that may be
associated with chronic GERD include:
Esophageal scarring or stricture
Bleeding resulting from ulceration or erosion
of the esophagus
Barrett's esophagus - abnormal changes in the
lining of the esophagus that increases the risk
for developing a type of cancer called
adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
Individuals with occasional, mild symptoms
of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may not
require any specific evaluation and may be
candidates for direct treatment. Patients with
regular symptoms of GERD (weekly symptoms or
symptoms on a consistent basis) or patients with
heartburn associated with difficulty in swallowing,
weight loss, anemia or bleeding need to be evaluated
on a more aggressive basis.
In general,
the following diagnostic techniques may be used for
evaluating patients with symptoms of GERD:
Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy
Esophageal ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring
Esophageal manometry
Radiological studies (x-rays)
The primary goals of treatment for
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are as
follows:
Relieve symptoms of the disease
Heal esophagitis - inflammation of the
esophagus caused by acid reflux
Prevent complications of GERD
Prevent relapse of disease once the patient
is in remission
In general, the following treatment options are
available for the management of patients with GERD:
Lifestyle modifications
Medical (drug) therapy
Endoscopic antireflux therapy
Gastroesophageal reflux surgery
Hospitals Listing
Gleneagles Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
{Malaysia}
Gleneagles Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Batra Hospital
New Delhi
{India}
The
Batra Hospital and Medical
Bangkok Hospital Medical Center
{Thailand}
Bangkok Hospital Medical Center
Samitivej
Banbkok
{Thailand}
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