- What is GERD?
- What are the causes of reflux?
- What are the symptoms of GERD?
- What to do to relieve reflux?
- What are the treatments for GERD?
- When to consult in the event of reflux?
- How do you know if it’s reflux?
- What foods to prevent reflux?
- What natural remedies are effective for reflux?
What is GERD?
Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing. Once swallowed, the food, which has become the “food bolus”, travels down the esophagus, whose sphincter expands to allow it to pass into the stomach. The bolus stays there for about four hours and the gastric juices begin to work. Normally, during the meal, the cardia, a sort of anti-reflux which separates the esophagus from the stomach, opens so that the food falls into the stomach where it is dissolved by the gastric juice. But this liquid can rise physiologically: it is thee gastroesophageal reflux disease, or “GERD”.
Most often, acid reflux occurs after meals, at night or in certain positions (when leaning forward for example) and are not painful.
But these acid reflections may be more frequent and prolonged over time. VSit creates inflammation of the lining of the esophagus and a burning sensation ( (Where “heartburn“). Over the years, this reflux can even cause esophagitis with sometimes erosions or even ulcerations of the wall of the esophagus.
What are the causes of reflux?
Dtheir possible origins:
- The first is poor closure (open bite) of the cardia which should prevent food from moving up from the stomach to the esophagus. This anatomical malformation, which is often observed in infants, particularly premature infants, leads to a reflux more or less important.
- The second, more common in adults, is a hiatus hernia, that is to say that the diaphragm, too open, lets a small part of the stomach go up into the esophagus. You can have this disorder from birth without noticing it and then, with age, the lining of the esophagus becomes more and more irritated and the reflux becomes painful.
Two risky periods: tEveryone can be affected at some point in their life, with two particularly favorable periods, the first months of life and pregnancy.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease in babies, especially premature babies, is frequent, but it improves quickly, because the cardia gradually tightens, children stand up, they eat more solid foods …
- the reflux during pregnancy, is favored by the increase in the level of progesterone (hormone) and by the position of the baby which can press on the stomach and thus cause acid reflux.
>> Stress is a risk factor : he acts like fuel on the fire. Stress indeed promotes the alteration of the permeability of the esophageal mucosa and therefore the entry of acid into the cells, and it slows down gastric emptying.
What are the symptoms of GERD?
A burning sensation which starts in the pit of the stomach and rises in the thorax (heartburn), regurgitation and a taste of bitterness in the mouth, more or less frequent and more or less severe. These symptoms can appear after meals and often at night or in the morning upon waking.
But one reflux can also be translated simply as an unexplained cough, a stuffy nose, a broken voice, or mucus in the back of the throat in the morning upon waking up. In toddlers, it will be more painful regurgitation after the bottle or ENT or pulmonary complications (sinusitis, sore throat…).
>> To know: there is not always a correlation between the intensity of symptoms and the severity of GERD. One can for example suffer from significant acid regurgitation, whereas one sees almost nothing with the fibroscopy.
What to do to relieve reflux?
The causes of gastroesophageal reflux are mainly food. It is therefore advisable to limit your consumption of tea, coffee, chocolate, meals that are too large or fatty. Also to avoid alcohol and tobacco which also promote reflux (like being overweight).
The lying position often accentuates the sensation of reflux. It is advisable to observe a certain delay between dinner and bedtime (at least 2 to 3 hours) and to elevate the head of the bed, in order to tilt it by about 30 °. Respecting these hygienic and dietary rules often greatly improves the symptoms.
What are the treatments for GERD?
If the reflux is recent or temporary, you can ask your pharmacist for a local antacid or gastric bandage (Gaviscon®, Polysilane®…). Sold without a prescription, these medications, to be taken at the first signs of discomfort, form a viscous gel that floats in the stomach and protects the esophagus in the event of reflux. They provide immediate relief and can be used as often as needed.
If acid reflux is frequent, your doctor may prescribe a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), a family of drugs that drastically lower stomach acid. According to the latest recommendations from the French National Authority for Health (HAS), PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole, etc.) must be prescribed for an initial period of maximum 8 weeks. At the end of this period, the dosage will possibly be reduced. Except in rare specific cases, these medicines should not be taken all the time because they have certain side effects, including an increased risk of osteoporosis (especially in women over 65), vitamin B12 deficiency and magnesium and a risk of chronic gastritis.
If it is still very painful, it is possible to intervene to restore the functionality of the esophageal sphincter. Called a fundoplication, the procedure involves wrapping the upper part of the stomach (the fundus) around the lower part of the esophagus to narrow the passage. The best results are obtained in patients who respond well to treatment with PPI. The objective is to limit the intake of medication. Corn surgery remains a last-line option. It can indeed cause a functional discomfort more or less impacting (bloating, gas, stomach pain …). It is mainly intended for people in good physical shape who suffer permanently, in the event of complicated reflux or to those whose esophagitis lesions do not heal well despite treatment.
When to consult in the event of reflux?
If, despite these dietary and dietary measures and antacid treatment, the symptoms persist or worsen, or if the burns return as soon as you stop taking a medication, make an appointment with the doctor. Also check if:
- You are over 50 and have recently had symptoms of GERD.
- You think GERD is related to medication you are taking
- That it is accompanied by other symptoms: painful regurgitation, cough, traces of blood in the regurgitations, difficulty swallowing, hoarse voice …
- You lose weight quickly.
How do you know if it’s reflux?
After a clinical examination and questioning, the doctor will prescribe if necessary fasting gastrointestinal endoscopy, to look for anatomical malformations such as open heart or hiatus hernia and possible complications of reflux. It is the reference examination to be done in the event of atypical symptoms and / or after 50 years.
If the clinical signs are very suggestive of reflux, a pH-measurement makes it possible to measure the variations in the level of acidity (pH) in the esophagus for 24 hours using a small probe introduced through the nostril up to the esophagus.
What foods to prevent reflux?
Vegetables are the first protectors against reflux because their antioxidants protect the lining of the esophagus. Fruits are also an excellent source of antioxidants but they are limited to 2 or 3 per day because they are rich in fermentable sugars, and they are consumed outside of meals because, consumed at the end of a meal, they promote fermentation and fermentation. production of gas in the stomach.
Important to limit inflammation: restore a good balance between omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) and omega-6 (pro-inflammatory), and this goes primarily through the consumption of rapeseed or camelina oils for seasoning and olive oil for cooking. Omega-3s will also help strengthen the cell membranes of the esophagus made up of fat.
The best spice: turmeric. Thanks to its active ingredient, curcumin, it acts as an anti-inflammatory on the digestive sphere in the event of reflux, gastric ulcer, or inflammatory bowel disease. For better assimilation, consume it in a meal with a fat (oil, coconut milk) and pepper or ginger.
>> We also take the time to eat. When meals are eaten too quickly, reflux has been shown to increase. In addition, the more time we take, the more we chew and the more we anti-acid bicarbonate and enzymes are produced which initiate digestion. And we avoid anything that causes gastric distension: soup, water in quantity during meals or carbonated drinks.
What natural remedies are effective for reflux?
The marshmallow: gThanks to its high content of mucilage, marshmallow protects the digestive mucosa. We buy it in powder from an herbalist, and we prepare a drink by diluting 1 tsp. to c. of powdered marshmallow in a glass of cold or hot water. To drink a quarter of an hour before meals.
Lithotamne: this red algae acts by fighting against acidity. In powder, take a teaspoon in a glass of water in the evening after dinner or during the day in case of reflux.
Aloe vera gel: 1 tablespoon morning, noon and evening, before and after the meal.
Essential oils : place (your choice) a drop of essential oil of peppermint, tropical basil or shell marjoram on a ball of bread crumbs or a teaspoon of honey and swallow at the end of the meal.
Homeopathy: to act on acidity, Robinia 5 CH, 5 granules before three meals over a fortnight, then twice a day when the condition improves. If the reflux is significant Sulfuricum acidum 5 CH, 5 granules before the three meals.
>> Also discover: 6 grandmother’s remedies to relieve acid reflux
Sources:
- Dr Sylvie Grimbert, gastroenterologist at the Diaconesses-Croix Saint-Simon hospital group (Top santé n ° 373, October 2021)
- Ameli
- Dr Martine Cotinat, gastroenterologist, author of Treat reflux naturally (ed. Thierry Souccar)
Read also :
- Doctor, it stings my throat
- GERD: 10 tips to relieve reflux
- GERD: 5 Ways To Cure Reflux Without Medication
- The Mediterranean diet against reflux
