GERD
(gastro
esophageal reflux disease), also known as acid reflux, is a
very common medical condition among inhabitants of
developed countries. At least 20% of the entire western
countries’ residents experience some of the common
symptoms of GERD at least once a week. While only a few
individuals are actually aware of their medical
condition, most GERD patients experience significant
decline of their overall well-being and quality of life
because of this condition.
Since
gastro
esophageal reflux disease can cause
patients a great deal of suffering and lead to serious
complications, being able to identify its symptoms in
order to quickly diagnose and treat it is of great
importance. Both medical doctors and paraprofessionals
believe that initial diagnosis of gastro
esophageal reflux disease, mostly
by using a typical GERD
symptoms questionnaire, is essential to
ensure the most effective and quick treatment for this
condition. According to various estimations, approx 70%
of the acid reflux diagnostics that are based on the
presence of typical related symptoms are accurate.
Classic
symptoms of GERD include heartburn and regurgitation. In
the case of gastro esophageal
reflux disease, contents of
the stomach, including acid, reflux (splash up) into the
esophagus, causing painful burning sensation that often
damages the lining of the esophagus. Other GERD symptoms
include, but not limited to: dry cough, chronic
wheezing, chest pain (often similar to cardiac-related
pain), asthma, nausea and other sinonasal symptoms
(pertaining to the nose and sinuses), loss of tooth
enamel, bad breath and dysphagia (the feeling of food
stuck in the throat). In some instances, acid reflux can
also cause damage to the ears (otitis media) and vocal
cords (cancer, hoarseness,
laryngitis).
Being able
to identify those symptoms as an evidence of gastro
esophageal
reflux disease is
crucial for your health and general well being and for
the prevention of potential
complications.
Acid
reflux symptoms often serve as an external warning sign
of an overall internal imbalance. Moreover, neglected
GERD can lead to significant physical discomfort and
sometimes may result in severe health complications,
such as esophageal cancer and pneumonia.
Fortunately,
patients can identify most GERD
symptoms prior to seeing the physician. If one
or more symptoms occur on a regular basis, it is
strongly recommended to see a gastrointestinal
specialist for comprehensive diagnosis.
While a
gastrointestinal endoscopist can provide an effective
initial diagnosis, trying to cure gastro
esophageal
reflux using conventional medicine means has two serious
disadvantages:
1.
Prescription
medication and over the counters merely touch the
external symptoms of your disease, whereas acid reflux
is a complex condition triggered by a wide set of
internal and external factors and co-factors. Because
conventional treatments tackle only the symptoms of the
disease and not the root cause, daily dosage of drugs is
required to keep the symptoms under control, thus
creating life long dependency on drugs and over the
counters.
2.
Certain
drugs including antacids and especially PPIs can cause a
myriad of uncomfortable to dangerous side effects.
The holistic approach that tackles
the internal, lifestyle and environmental factors that
trigger acid reflux in the first place and fixes the
root problem that contributes to this condition, is a
much more effective and long-term solution. No matter
what the severity of your GERD is, addressing this
condition by adhering to the holistic approach will
ensure that the root causes of your acid reflux are
tackled permanently and safely, thus significantly
improving the quality of your
life.
