Esophageal reflux is a common disorder that occurs when stomach acids flow into the esophagus, causing a feeling of burning in the chest known as the stomach heartburn, and this reflux occurs due to the weakness or relaxation of the lower sphincter of the esophagus, which is the muscle responsible for preventing the leakage of stomach acids, and the reflux may be transverse but it becomes a chronic problem when it is frequently repeated, which may lead to serious complications that affect On the health of the digestive system.
Causes of esophageal reflux
This problem occurs as a result of several factors such as eating fatty and fried foods, excessive drinking of soft drinks, smoking, and a lot of caffeine, and eating large meals directly before bed increases the risk of acid reflux, and some health conditions such as obesity and diaphragm hernia can play a role in increasing the possibility of reflux, as excess pressure on the stomach leads to pushing acids towards the esophagus.
Symptoms of esophageal reflux
The main symptoms of feeling burning in the stomach extend to the throat, with a bitter or acidic taste in the mouth, as the patient may feel chest pain that resembles the pain of angina, which may cause anxiety, and other symptoms include chronic cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, flatulence, and some people also suffer from a feeling of lump in the throat or chronic irritation in the throat.
Methods of mitigating the symptoms of esophageal reflux
Symptoms can be controlled by modifying lifestyle, such as eating small meals throughout the day instead of large meals, avoiding foods that stimulate reflux, such as hot spices and fatty and fried foods, and it is advised not to lie down immediately after eating, and raising the head during sleep using a high pillow, and losing weight reduces pressure on the stomach, which reduces symptoms.
Esophageal reflux treatment
Treatment includes the use of medications that reduce gastrointestinal acid production, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIS) and histamine blockers, and antacids can also be resorted to rapid comfort but do not treat the problem from their roots, and in severe cases that do not respond to drug therapy and surgical intervention may be an option, as techniques such as rolling the stomach are used to strengthen the chicken muscle of the esophagus.
