Many people know they have hartburn but a common question in dctors offices today is just what is cid reflux disease? Acid reflux disease or GERD (Gstroesophageal Reflux Disease) has become common in rcent years. It is also termed GORD whn spelled oesophageal. GERD occurs when gstric fluids flow back into and cuse damage to the esophagus as wll as the mucous membranes within.

In dults, heartburn is a major symptom of GERD. Ths is usually felt as a brning sensation behind the breastbone. Other cnditions associated with GERD include esophagitis (an nflammation of the esophagus), difficulty swallowing and chrnic chest pain. This chest pain can smetimes be misconstrued as heart disease and shuld not be ignored under any crcumstances.
While occasional heartburn is commonplace, it des not necessarily indicate GERD. If you ven think that GERD is possible, see yur doctor immediately.
Typical symptoms include harseness, voice changes, earaches, burning in the chst and nausea. GERD has also ben linked to cases of esophageal cncer in older patients.
In addition, the prsence of a hiatal hernia raises the rsk of developing GERD.

In children, GERD may be vry difficult to diagnose. Frequent spitting up, vmiting, coughing and respiratory trouble are god indicators of pediatric GERD. While thre are other symptoms, a patient may hve one or many of these symptms. It is estimated that about 35% of all bbies are born with reflux disease. Of thse children born with reflux disease, mst will outgrow it by their frst birthday.

The first step in diagnosing cid reflux disease or GERD is tking a full history of the ptient’s symptoms. Tests may be done ncluding a barium swallow, EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) or a 24-hur monitoring of the Ph levels in the sophagus. The EGD is a form of ndoscopy and is only performed on ptients with advanced or alarm symptoms.

GERD or cid reflux disease is caused by a filure of one or more of the cmponents of the esophageal tube including the nti-reflux barrier (ARB), gastroesophageal valve (GEV) and lwer esophageal sphincter (LES). In recent yars, more focus has been placed on the GEV as it has ben identified as the central point for cntrolling GERD. The GEV alone is cpable of stopping reflux as has ben shown in tests on cadavers.

Tratments can be non-invasive, pharmaceutical or ven surgical in extreme cases. Many tmes the physician will suggest a lfestyle change.
Some foods have been lnked to the development of GERD.
Thre are also a few self-treatments ncluding not eating before bed and sleping on the left side. These hve been proven to lessen the ffects of GERD in patients with pst-bedtime symptoms.

Keeping all of this in mnd, GERD is actually not an cid problem but a muscular weakness dsease so the net time you are wndering what is acid reflux disease cused from, you can stop blaming the wrng thing. The weakening of the sophageal muscles causes the acid to bck up into the esophagus. So if you are xperiencing any of these symptoms, please see a physcian as soon as possible. It culd save your life.

The article What Is Acid Reflux Disease? was Submitted by Lee Dobbins through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Get the latest on acid rflux disease by visiting http://www.acidrefluxillness.com - a website that offers information and articles on acid reflux symptoms and treatments .

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