GASTROESOPHAGEAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GASTROESOPHAGEAL - Essay Example The high prevalence GERD in combination with the relatively high cost of medication of acid lowering medication leads to a significant socioeconomic burden to the patient. The symptoms are classified into typical, atypical, and esophageal symptoms. The typical symptoms are the heartburns and regurgitation of acid which have low sensitivity but high specificity for GERD. The atypical symptoms are epigastric pain, nausea, dyspepsia, belching and bloating though they may overlap with other diagnosis of other diseases such as peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, achalasia, gastroparesis and dyspepsia. Lastly, there are the extraesophageal symptoms which include chronic cough, laryngitis, asthma, and dental erosion. It is important for the physician to take into consideration of behavioral and physical factors when making decision about the management of the disease for the patient with symptoms of persistent reflux (Kahrilas, 2012). The following lifestyle habits may lead to GERD and increase its risk. Theses includes obesity, smoking, exercising or strenuous activities immediately after eating, Lying down staring or bending over after eating. In addition, the consumption of the following beverages may lead to the increased risk of GERD; namely, excessive consumption of alcohol, products that are caffeinated, citrus fruits, chocolate, fried foods, foods made with tomatoes such as chili, spaghetti sauce, and pizza and finally the spicy foods. Eating a heavy meal and then lie on the back or bend over from the waist. The respiratory disease may also be a risk factor of GERD. Finally, the hormone replacement therapy may lead to high risk of GERD as it may occur in the postmenopausal women. The risk increases with the larger doses of estrogen and longer duration of the therapy. Pregnant women are also vulnerable to GERD in their third trimesteras the growing uterus exerts