GERD

think of it backwards....

in this case, the food is going down the esophagus to the stomach

and during reflux, acid from the stomach goes up the esophagus

if the acid reaches high enough, it can go down the trachea to the larnyx/voicebox causing other complications

GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

By: Neha Patel

GERD occurs in the

The Digestive System

An organ system that breaks down food while absorbing nutrients used by the body for energy.

Who Can Get GERD?

• anyone

men, women, infants, children

• overweight or pregnant people are more likely (because of the added pressure on their stomachs

GERD in Children and Infants

It can cause...

• repeated vomiting
• coughing
• respiratory problems (sore throat)
• ear infection

Infants usually grow out of GERD by the time they are 1 year old.

Small Intestine

• continues breaking down food using bile and enzymes

• lined with villi which has blood vessels that absorb nutrients

• coiled in abdomen

• uses peristalsis to move food around

Pancreas

• secrets enzymes

Liver

• makes/secrets bile (bile eliminates waste from blood and digests fat)

Gall Bladder

• stores + contracts bile

The Mouth

Contains...

• Teeth

-grinds/mashes food into smaller pieces

• Salivary Glands

-helps soften food

-lubricates the throat

-digests carbohydrates

-extra saliva: neutralizes small amounts of gastric acids that back up in esophagus

Stomach

Large Intestine

The Pharynx

• has strong muscular walls

• also uses peristalsis

• connected to the mouth
• branches out into two directions:

the trachea

the esophagus

• also known as the colon

-lining is called columnar mucosa

-made up of tall cells called columnar epithelium

-secrets mucus that protects columnar mucosa

• secretes acid and powerful enzymes that help break down food

• blood vessels absorb most of the water + remaining minerals

-digests carbohydrates, fats, proteins etc.

-kills harmful bacteria

• ends at the rectum, which stores food waste

• food that leaves stomach is called chyme

The Esophagus

• muscular tube connecting pharynx to stomach

• uses contractions (preistalsis) to send food down to stomach

-in a healthy digestive system, if stomach contents slide up the esophagus, muscles would contract and push it back up

• flat cells called squamous epithelium make up the esophageal lining (squamous mucosa)

Changing your sleeping position

-the squamous epithelium is sensitive and can be damaged by acid reflux easily and cause heartburn

because of gravity...

sleeping on your stomach causes acid to slide easily up your esophagus.

Possible Contributions

The Lower Esophageal Sphincter

Preventing Heartburn and GERD

- a muscular valve found between the stomach and esophagus

-opens to let food in

-activated when a you swallow

-the LES of a GERD patient opens/closes frequently

-closes to contain stomach contents (food and acid)

to GERD

sleeping on your right side causes acid to easily flow down to your esophagus

• by not drinking alcohol

sleeping on your left side prevents acid from flowing into your esophagus

• alcohol use

• quitting smoking

• loosing weight

-irritates and reddens esophageal lining

-relaxes LES muscles

-causes stomach to create more acid

-with exercises that doesn't include bending down so that your stomach doesn't push up against your LES

• obesity

• eating small meals at a time

-causes added pressure on the stomach area, making it harder for the LES to function

-having a full stomach relaxes LES

• eat dinner earlier

• pregnancy

• wearing loose clothing

-pressure on the stomach area

-high hormone levels

-less pressure on LES

The End.

• by not taking birth control pills, drugs for osteoporosis

• gastroparesis

Thank you for viewing this public education piece about GERD

• elevating upper portion of body while sleeping

-when acid stays in stomach for too long, it backs up into esophagus

-because of gravity, acid would not slip up the esophagus as easily

-stomach takes to long to empty

• by not lying down for at least three hours after eating

• hiatal hernia

• chewing gum after meals

-when upper portion of stomach moves upward to chest

-increases production of saliva

-saliva neutralizes acid

Treatment

What Not To Eat

Some foods...

relax the LES

Some examples are...

alcohol

Some examples are...

coffee

Caffeinated drinks

Chocolate

spicy food

High-fat foods

citrus fruits + juices

Nicotine

mint flavourings

Alcohol

Carbonated beverages

tomato based food

irritate the esophagus

Over-the-counter antacids

With a relaxed LES, it will stop opening and closing when it is supposed to, causing it to be more likely for acid to back up.

If drugs don't work, surgery can be taken:

Some foods would irritate the esophagus because of the damage that the stomach acids caused, making it more vulnerable to certain foods than a healthy esophagus.

• Alka Seltzer

Fundoplication

• Tums

• the top of the stomach is folded around the base of the esophagus and stitched there
• this tightens the area around LES which helps to keep it closed

H2 blockers

• they block histamine receptors that signal your stomach to produce acid

What Is GERD?

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI)

• reduces production of stomach acids
• appears to repair the damage of the esophageal lining

A digestive disorder that occurs when stomach acids flow back up the esophagus

Complications

Having GERD can lead to other disorders...

• ulcers and bleeding in the esophagus (esophageal erosion) -serious complication

People experience HEARTBURN

Not everyone with heartburn and reflux has GERD

Because of the acid reflux that occurs when you have GERD...

But, if you have it for more than twice a week, you should get evaluated for GERD.

Heartburn is the burning sensation that occurs in the esophagus once acid enters it. The lining of the esophagus is sensitive causing the pain of heartburn.

• esophagitis, esophageal stricture (narrowing of tube), damages muscles

Symptoms

and it makes pushing food down the esophagus to the stomach difficult.

Which thicken the esophageal lining causing esophageal stricture...

Produce new cells that form scar tissues...

An injured esophageal lining because of the exposure of stomach acids...

• frequent heartburn

• asthma

-sometimes it feels like a heart attack or angina

-pain starts at middle of chest, radiates to neck + shoulder

• throat and laryngeal inflammation

• nausea

• infection of the lungs

• acid regurgitation

• increase of saliva

• can cause a change in the esophageal lining (Barrett's Esophagus)

-your body's natural antacid

can lead to cancer

• trouble swallowing

• esophageal scarring

• hoarseness, coughing

-when acid reflux reaches trachea

• bad breath