How GERD Can Be Prevented
Female: G is for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
Dr. Lisa Masterson: Oh, that’s a big round of applause --
Dr. Travis Stork: Everyone, repeat after me Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. That’s a lot of syllables. And what happens when you have cortical GERD, well, you’ve got a lot of acidity in your stomach and you eat certain things, with that acidity in the stomach, unfortunately, at times, your esophagus does not close off properly and that acid after you eat certain types of foods, it will actually reflux and that’s why they call it reflux disease. It refluxes from your stomach into your esophagus, it’s what you’re seeing there, and it burns, it hurts. And the thing about it is 10 to 20 million Americans suffer from GERD and its more than just heartburn. Sometimes, you’ll get a little bit of heart burn. But if you get it at least twice a week, and you sometimes get nausea, you feel that regurgitation, have anyone have ever had that terrible burning sensation.
Dr. Drew Ordon: Yes, everybody has had that.
Dr. Travis Stork: It’s really quite miserable. And the problem is a lot of times, people don’t know that they’re doing things that bring on the reflux. For instance, you have to avoid caffeine, alcohol, what that does is that actually relaxes that sphincter, not down there, but the lower part of your esophagus has a sphincter, it does. And it prevents that esophagus from opening up. Citrus foods, chocolates has caffeine in it, peppermint, all of those things can make your reflux symptoms worst.
Other great tip, if you do suffer from reflux, don’t eat right before you go to bed and where loose fitting clothing -- those things can help as well.
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