Even though they sound like the terrible twins, GER (acid reflux) and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) are not the same. They are, however, related!

Watch the backwash

Remember how as children we used to give siblings and friends sips of our drinks but with the stern warning not to backwash! Of course everyone does it. Babies, do it, children do it and adults do so too: they backwash! In babies it’s called spitting up, children vomit and adults have stomach acid or heartburn.
Medical experts call the backward flow of stomach contents up into the oesophagus (throat/gullet) and into the mouth either GER (gastroesophageal reflux) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The difference is that GERD occurs when complications set in that may result in more serious conditions such as oesophageal bleeding, scarring, restriction, ulcers and the risk of oesophageal cancer.

Don’t forget to close the door

Sounds familiar? The same happens with GER and GERD. The lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) is a ring of muscles between the oesophagus (gullet) and the stomach that normally opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and then closes to prevent food and acid stomach juices to leak or wash back. When the LES fails to close properly you may experience the following symptoms: heartburn and chest pain radiating from below the breastbone up to the neck and throat (often mistaken for a heart attack symptom), feel bloated or ready to vomit after eating, have difficulty swallowing, a lump in the throat, shortness of breath, a dry cough and sore throat.

Unfortunately GER and GERD have a lousy cousin called hiatal (hernia) and this guy has a serious problem with closing doors. When he appears, doctors suspect that he further weakens the LES and increases the risk of GERD. Hiatal is of the hernia family and may cause the upper part of the stomach to move up into the chest through an opening in the diaphragm (the muscle wall that separates your stomach from your chest and helps keep backwash at bay).

Don’t damn it, slam it

Prevention is always better than cure and keeping GER and GERD at bay may necessitate closing the following doors:

    • Overeating and weight gain (obesity) that puts additional pressure on the stomach
    • Eating food that cause heartburn and irritate the stomach and oesophagus such as fatty and fried foods as well as spicy foods containing curry or chilli, chocolate, mint, onions, garlic and pepper, drinking coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated drinks, orange and tomato juice or eating citrus fruits or foods that contain a lot of tomatoes such as pizza, salsa and certain pasta dishes
    • Eating huge helpings of food at one time and then lying down. Rather eat smaller meals more frequently and go for a walk or stay upright for two to three hours after a meal
    • Smoking. It damages mucus membranes, impairs muscle reflexes in the throat, reduces LES muscle function and production of saliva that neutralises the effects of stomach acid and increases the risk of cancer of the oesophagus
    • Wearing tight-fitting clothes and belts that place pressure on the stomach
    • Lying down flat on your bed. Try raising the head of your bed/mattress by at least 15 cm to allow gravity to help minimise stomach reflux. Using pillows to do this is counterproductive, it only increases pressure on your stomach
    • Using the wrong medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and overusing others such as certain common antacids. Rather speak to your doctor or chemist about the proper medicines to use and ask about medicines prescribed for other conditions that may trigger heartburn.

Although the terrible twins, GER and GERD and cousin hiatal can be a real pain to live with, especially during pregnancy, it becomes bearable when you find out how to circumvent a visit and which doors to slam in their faces. Give it a try!

 

Sources
Acid reflux. Retrieved from: http://www.symptomfind.com/diseases-conditions/acid-reflux-prevention-treatment
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/reflux-disease-gerd-1?page=4
Henshawl, A. 2011. What food to avoid if you have acid reflux. Retrieved from: www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/what-food-to-avoid-if-you-have-acid-reflux
Understanding Hiatal Hernia symptoms. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/understanding-hiatal-hernia-symptoms