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Diagnosing Acid Reflux Disease
November 6, 2009 |
Some people experience it after
eating certain foods; that indigestion, heartburn,
sore throat, even a lingering strange taste in their mouth.
“The way we’re built, how heavy we are, our dietary habits, affect whether we will
have reflux symptomotology,” explains Dr. H. Scott Harris, a gastroenterologist
on the Lee Memorial Health System medical staff.
Oftentimes, people just blame the food for the uncomfortable feeling, when really;
the body may be to blame. “If you think about it, there’s basically a high pressure
zone at the bottom of our esophagus which is designed to stay closed and keep the
things that in the stomach, in our stomach,” adds Dr. Harris.
But for some people, that high pressure zone can stay open, causing acid-type material
to back up and cause damage.
“We become concerned and have what we call alarm symptoms
which are particularly vomiting, pain, trouble swallowing, or food sticking as they
try and get them down,” says Dr. Harris.
He advises people to monitor how often they are experiencing acid reflux. “When
they are having episodes 2-3 times per week, we require them to seek out medication
and change their lifestyle to help them. Maybe some medication is necessary to decrease
the acid in their stomach.”
Testing for acid reflux is relatively easy. Doctors use a wide variety of techniques,
from special x-rays to body cameras that are designed to take pictures of the esophagus
and stomach.
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