Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

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The Digestive disorder I choose was Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is caused when your stomach acid backs up into the tube connecting to your mouth and stomach which is called the esophagus. This acid reflex causes irritation in the lining of the esophagus often causing irritation. When a person has this disease, they normally have burning pain in the middle of their chest with some symptoms normally occur at night. Such as chronic coughs, worsening asthma and disrupted sleep. While other symptoms can include chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and sensation of a lump in your throat. Which can happen twice a week. Some risk factors can include Obesity, pregnancy, and bulging of the top of the stomach up into the diaphragm also known as the hiatal hernia. There are also factors that can aggravate acid reflux such as smoking, or eating large meals late at night. Eating …show more content…

Then there’s medication. If these two doesn’t work the doctor then suggest surgery such as Fundoplication, this is when the surgeon wraps the top of your stomach around the lower esophageal sphincter, to tighten the muscle and prevent reflux. Fundoplication is usually done with a minimally invasive (laparoscopic) procedure. The wrapping of the top part of the stomach can be partial or complete. Then there’s a second surgery that can performed by installing a Linx device. Which is a A ring of tiny magnetic beads is wrapped around the junction of the stomach and esophagus. The magnetic attraction between the beads is strong enough to keep the junction closed to refluxing acid, but weak enough to allow food to pass through. The Linx device can be implanted using minimally invasive

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