The Risks of GERD and Barrett’s Esophagus

For the past seven years, Dave White of Easthampton, Mass., has slept with his head and chest uncomfortably propped up on a pile of pillows.

“It’s the most difficult part of living with this condition,” White says. “There are times when I’ve almost wept from the frustration of having to sleep [this way].” But if he doesn’t, he risks a flare-up that sometimes “feels like a lit match being pressed to the top of my stomach.”

That condition is chronic heartburn, also known as GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease. For most people, heartburn is an occasional nuisance. It descends after an all-you-can-eat buffet or an office party. But if you have heartburn regularly, it’s likely a sign of GERD, a relentless condition in which stomach acids back up into the esophagus. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, 25 million people have heartburn every day.

For many of them — at least 50% according to some research — nighttime heartburn is a special problem. Since lying flat can aggravate the symptoms, trying to sleep can be painful and difficult. There can also be more serious long-term consequences. Studies show that nighttime heartburn increases the risk of developing other serious conditions, including cancer of the esophagus.

The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to relieve the pain and discomfort. “If you are experiencing nighttime heartburn, you should know that there are good treatments,” says Stuart Spechler, MD, spokesman for the American Gastroenterological Association and chief of the division of gastroenterology at the Dallas VA Medical Center. “There’s no reason anyone should be suffering with this.”

Why Is Nighttime Heartburn More Dangerous?

Day or night, chronic reflux can gradually damage the esophagus. It may lead to inflammation and scar tissue that narrows the esophagus. In some people, chronic heartburn can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, changes in the cells that increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

But nighttime heartburn tends to leave acid in the esophagus longer, and therefore may cause more damage than daytime heartburn.

“A good part of the explanation is gravity,” says Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, co-author of Healing Heartburn and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md. During the day, acids from the stomach may briefly force their way into your esophagus. But gravity quickly pulls them back down to the stomach.

When you’re lying down, gravity isn’t pulling in the right direction. Instead, the stomach contents are pressing on the sphincter muscle that connects the esophagus to the stomach. In people with GERD – which means nearly everyone with chronic heartburn – the sphincter is faulty. It doesn’t fully close. So acids can reflux back up into the esophagus. And because you’re lying down, once acids get into the esophagus, they can sit there for much longer than during the day. That can increase the damage.

Gravity isn’t the only factor. When you’re awake, you naturally swallow whenever acid begins to reflux. This pushes the acid back down into the stomach. Saliva also contains bicarbonate, which can neutralize stomach acid. But when you’re asleep, the swallowing impulse is suppressed, Spechler says.

The Link Between Nighttime Heartburn and Insomnia

The effects of nighttime heartburn aren’t confined to esophagus. It can also result in chronic insomnia. Nighttime heartburn can wake you up and keep you up.

“The symptoms definitely aggravate insomnia,” says Dave White, who has suffered from nighttime heartburn for years. “I’ll wake up with cutting heartburn pain and then have to wait for the effects of [medicine] to kick in, which can take an hour or so. When that happens, I’ll just get out of bed, since I know I’ll be up anyway.”

One study showed just how common nighttime heartburn can be. Researchers questioned nearly 15,300 average people and found that a whopping 25% reported having nighttime heartburn. The results were published in the journal CHEST.

Another survey of 1,900 people with GERD in the U.S. and Europe found that about half had trouble sleeping at night. In these people, GERD symptoms caused a 22% impairment of leisure activities and a 15% impairment of their ability to work. The findings were presented during the 2005 Digestive Disease Week, an international conference for gastroenterologists. So the pain — and consequences — of nighttime heartburn go well beyond that burning in your chest.

Controlling Nighttime Heartburn

Fortunately, there are a lot of different treatments for nighttime heartburn. They can reduce your symptoms and your discomfort. They also lower the risk of developing serious complications.

“Lifestyle changes are very important,” Cheskin tells WebMD. “In so many cases, we don’t need to go to prescribed medications or more aggressive treatments.” Many people can find relief by:

• Avoiding foods that can lead to heartburn, such as alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, coffee, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, pepper, vinegar, catsup and mustard, and spicy or fatty foods
• Not eating anything for two to three hours before bedtime
• Chewing gum in the evening to boost saliva
• Putting blocks under the top of the mattress to elevate the head 4 to 6 inches

OTC Medicines for Heartburn

If changes to your lifestyle don’t ease your nighttime heartburn, over-the-counter medications may do the trick, Cheskin says. The tried and true treatments — the ones your mom always gave you — are antacids, which neutralize the acid in the stomach. These include liquids like Maalox or Mylanta, and solid tablets like Rolaids or Tums. “They can be very effective,” Cheskin says, “but the problem is that you have to take them more frequently, since they only last a couple of hours.”

But Spechler is skeptical. In cases of GERD that are bad enough to require them, he thinks that medicine is usually more effective and easier to live with. “Frankly,” Spechler says, “unless the condition is especially severe, or there’s some very compelling reason why a person shouldn’t take medicine, I don’t see any reason to torture patients with very tight dietary restrictions or elevating the head of the bed.”

Another class of over-the-counter medicines is h3 receptor antagonists, which reduce the production of acid by the stomach. Some examples are Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, Zantac 75, and Axid AR.

Studies show that over-the-counter medications can help with symptoms in 60% to 70% of people with chronic heartburn or GERD.

Treating Severe Heartburn and GERD

The newest — and most effective — class of heartburn drugs are the proton pump inhibitors. These work by blocking the effects of an enzyme that produces acid in the stomach. So far, only Prilosec OTC is available over-the-counter. Other proton pump inhibitors, such as Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, and Protonix, are available with a prescription from your doctor.

A lot of people find that one prescription medication on its own may not be enough. For severe GERD, Spechler says that you may need not only one to two daily doses of a proton pump inhibitor, but also a bedtime dose of an h3 receptor antagonist. You may need over-the-counter antacids, too. In some cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to correct the problem that’s causing your symptoms. But surgery isn’t always a complete solution. Some people still wind up needing medication afterwards. Be sure you’re under a doctor’s care if you take heartburn drugs regularly. They can slightly increase the risk of pneumonia.

The key is to get treatment. If you have frequent nighttime heartburn — and lifestyle changes aren’t helping — see your doctor.

“In recent years, we’ve become more and more aware of GERD as a risk for much more serious conditions, even cancer,” says Cheskin. “It’s not just heartburn. So you shouldn’t be complacent about it until you have it checked out.”

As for White, he says that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor has made a big difference. His symptoms have improved dramatically over the last few years. Nonetheless, his case is severe and he says his doctor thinks he may need surgery in the future.

Is Your Acid Reflux Worse in the Morning?

iStock

There is an abundance of information available about nocturnal reflux symptoms. However, for those of you who feel like your acid reflux symptoms are actually at their worst first thing in the morning, you are not alone. In fact, there is even a name for what you may be experiencing. It’s called “riser’s reflux.”

The study

The discovery was made when researchers looked at 39 individuals with acid reflux disease and a control group to study reflux events that occurred one hour before and immediately after waking in the morning. They found that the reflux symptoms many thought they were having at night were actually occurring just after waking in the morning. In fact, one-third of study participants demonstrated acid reflux events within 10 minutes after waking in the morning, and an additional 15 percent of participants experienced reflux within 20 minutes after waking.

To ensure that this riser’s reflux phenomenon was not just related to the change of position upon getting out of bed (i.e. compressing the abdomen), the researchers looked at how many patients experienced acid reflux while still in bed for a few minutes after waking up in the morning. Forty-two percent of patients still demonstrated riser’s reflux during the short time they remained in bed after waking up.

In this study, almost 50 percent of patients with acid reflux disease experienced acid reflux events within 20 minutes of waking up in the morning, compared with just 20 percent of patients who experienced acid reflux while they were sleeping. It is believed that sleep (especially deep sleep), serves as a suppressor of acid reflux symptoms for most. One of the ways we know this is that nighttime acid reflux occurs primarily during the first half of the night, as compared with the second half of the night.

Talk to your doctor

This concept of “riser’s reflux” may help explain why some people complain of early-morning acid reflux symptoms. Understanding and being able to communicate the timing of your reflux may be helpful to your physician as they determine the best time of day for you to take anti-reflux medication.

Meet Our Writer

Tracy Davenport, Ph.D.

Davenport is the founder of Tracyshealthyliving.com. Using the latest scientific research, she helps people live their healthiest lives via one-on-one coaching, corporate talks, and sharing the more than 1,000 health-related articles she’s authored.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Heartburn | Cedars-Sinai

Not what you’re looking for?

What is GERD?

GERD
(gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a digestive disorder. It’s caused when gastric
acid
from your stomach flows back up into your food pipe (esophagus).

Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD.

What causes GERD?

GERD
happens when gastric acid from your stomach backs up into your food pipe
(esophagus).

A
muscle at the bottom of the esophagus opens to let food from the bottom of the esophagus
into the stomach. And it closes to keep food in the stomach. This muscle is called
the
lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When your LES relaxes too often or for too long,
acid
backs up into your esophagus. This causes heartburn and may cause damage.

Some lifestyle issues that can cause GERD may include:

• Being overweight
• Overeating
• Eating foods such as citrus, chocolate, and fatty or spicy foods
• Having caffeine
• Having alcohol
• Smoking
• Using
  aspirin and over-the-counter pain and fever medicines. These include nonsteroidal
  anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen. 

Some
health problems that may cause heartburn, or make it more likely, may include:

• Swelling
  of your stomach lining (gastritis)
• Painful
  sores (ulcers) on the lining of your stomach or esophagus, or the first part of your
  small intestine (duodenum)
• An
  allergic condition in the esophagus (eosinophilic esophagitis)

Who is at risk for GERD?

You may be more at risk for GERD if you:

• Have a
  part of your stomach slide up out of the belly cavity next to your esophagus (hiatal
  hernia)
• Have a weak lower esophageal sphincter or LES
• Are obese
• Are pregnant
• Use
  some medicines, such as aspirin or over-the-counter pain and fever medicines such
  as
  NSAIDs
• Smoke or are around secondhand smoke
• Drink alcohol
• Are older

What are the symptoms of GERD?

Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, or acid reflux, is the most common symptom
of
GERD. Heartburn is a burning chest pain that starts behind your breastbone and moves
up
to your neck and throat. It can last as long as 2 hours. It often feels worse after
you
eat. Lying down or bending over can also cause heartburn. Another common symptom of
GERD
is bringing swallowed food up again to the mouth (regurgitation). Some people can
have
trouble swallowing.

Heartburn is not a GERD symptom for most children younger than 12 years old, and for
some adults. They may have a dry cough, asthma symptoms, or trouble swallowing
instead.

Each
person’s symptoms may vary. GERD symptoms can be caused by other health problems.
Always
see your healthcare provider to be sure.

How is GERD diagnosed?

To
see if you have GERD, your healthcare provider will give you a physical exam and ask
about your past health. Some people with typical symptoms may be treated without more
testing.

Other
tests for GERD may include:

• Upper GI (gastrointestinal) series, also called a barium swallow. This test looks at the organs of the top part of your digestive system. It checks
  your food pipe (esophagus), stomach, and the first part of your small intestine (duodenum).
  You will swallow a metallic fluid called barium. Barium coats the organs so that they
  can be seen on an X-ray. 
• Upper
  endoscopy or EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy).
  This test looks at the lining
  or inside of your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. This test uses a thin, lighted
  tube (endoscope). The tube has a camera at one end. The tube is put into your mouth
  and throat while you are sedated. Then it goes into your esophagus, stomach, and
  duodenum. Your healthcare provider can see the inside of these organs. They can also
  take a small tissue sample (biopsy) if needed.
• Bernstein
  test.
  This test helps to see if your symptoms are caused by acid in your
  esophagus. The test is done by dripping a mild acid through a tube placed in your
  esophagus to see if that causes the same symptoms. The Bernstein test is rarely done
  now.
• Esophageal manometry. This test checks the strength of your esophagus muscles. It can see if you have any
  problems with backward flow of fluid (reflux) or swallowing. A small tube is put into
  your nostril, then down your throat and into your esophagus. The tube checks how much
  pressure your esophageal muscles make when they are at rest.
• pH
  monitoring.
  This test checks the pH (acid level) in your esophagus. A thin,
  plastic tube is placed into your nostril, down your throat, and into your esophagus.
  The tube has a sensor that measures pH level. The other end of the tube outside your
  body is attached by a wire to a small monitor that records your pH levels for 24 to
  48 hours. During this time you can go home and do your normal activities. You will
  need to keep a diary of any symptoms you feel, and also of the food you eat. Your
  pH
  readings are checked and compared to your activity for that time period. Another
  method is to attach a capsule, about the size of a pencil eraser, to the lining
  inside the esophagus during an EGD. This sends pH data wirelessly to a receiver that
  can be worn on your wrist, or some other place. The capsule falls off in about 5 days
  and passes in your stool.
• Impedance testing. This test is able
  to see reflux of acid, plus nonacid liquid and air. It can be done with pH
  monitoring.

How is GERD treated?

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It
will also depend on how severe the condition is.

In
many cases making diet and lifestyle changes can help reduce GERD symptoms. Always
check
with your healthcare provider before making any changes.

If
you have GERD, be careful about what you eat and drink. Don’t have too much of
these:

• Fried
  and fatty foods
• Peppermint
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Citrus
  fruit and juices
• Tomato
  products
• Drinks
  with caffeine, such as coffee, soda, and energy drinks

You
should also:

• Eat
  smaller amounts
• Not
  overeat
• Quit
  smoking
• Not
  drink too much alcohol
• Wait a
  few hours after eating before you lie down or go to bed
• Lose
  weight if needed
• Raise
  the head of your bed 6 inches. (To do this, put bricks, cinderblocks, or bed risers
  under the bed legs at the head of the bed.) A “wedge” pillow can also be used while
  sleeping to raise (elevate) your chest and head above the level of your stomach.

Check any medicines you are taking. Some may cause problems with the lining of your
stomach or esophagus. You may also want to talk with your healthcare provider about:

• Taking
  medicines to reduce your stomach acid (antacids)
• Taking
  medicines called h3-blockers and proton pump inhibitors. Taking these medicines
  before eating may stop heartburn from happening.
• Taking
  medicines that help to empty food from your stomach (pro-motility medicines). You
  will need a prescription for these. But these medicines are rarely used to treat
  reflux disease unless there are other problems, too.
• Having
  surgery called fundoplication. This is sometimes done to help keep the esophagus in
  the right place and to stop the backward flow of fluid (reflux).

What are possible complications of
GERD?

If GERD is not treated, it can lead to other health problems. These may include:

• Esophagitis. This is an irritation of the esophagus caused by the acid in your stomach contents.
• Narrowing of the esophagus, also called strictures. This can make it hard to swallow.
• Breathing problems. This happens when stomach contents from your esophagus go into your lungs.
• Barrett’s esophagus. This affects the lining of your esophagus. In some cases it can lead to esophageal
  cancer.

What can I do to prevent GERD?

Some of the same diet and lifestyle
changes that are used to treat GERD can also help to prevent it.

Living with GERD

Your healthcare provider will give you advice on how to manage your GERD symptoms.
In most cases you will need to make some diet and lifestyle changes so that GERD pain
won’t get in the way of your normal activities.

When should I call my healthcare
provider?

Call your healthcare provider if:

• Your GERD symptoms don’t get better with treatment, or they
  get worse
• You have new symptoms
• You start vomiting
• You have involuntary weight loss
• You have trouble or pain with swallowing
• You have a new cough or trouble breathing
• You have small amounts of blood in your vomit or stool

Call 911

Call
911 or go to the nearest
emergency room if any of these occur:

• You have a large amount of blood in your vomit or
  stool
• You have severe trouble breathing
• You feel weak or faint

Key points about gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD)

• GERD is
  a digestive disorder. It is caused by gastric acid flowing from your stomach back
  up
  into your food pipe (esophagus).
• Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD.
• Some
  lifestyle issues that may cause GERD include being overweight, overeating, having
  caffeine and alcohol, and eating chocolate and spicy foods.
• There
  are several tests that can be done to see if you have GERD.
• If it’s
  not treated, GERD can lead to other health problems.
• Making
  diet and lifestyle changes can help reduce GERD symptoms. Some medicines may also
  help reduce symptoms.

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:

• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider
  tells you.
• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines,
  treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives
  you.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. Also
  know what the side effects are.
• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.
• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.
• Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or
  procedure.
• If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that
  visit.
• Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.

Medical Reviewer: Jen Lehrer MD

Medical Reviewer: Ronald Karlin MD

Medical Reviewer: Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN

© 2000-2021 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional’s instructions.

Not what you’re looking for?

7 signs your everyday acidity has taken a more serious turn

Have you experienced a burning sensation that rises from your abdomen and reaches your throat through your chest?  This condition is known as heart-burn, or more commonly, acidity.

Most people suffer from acidity occasionally. It mostly happens after consuming a large meal with high fat content, food that increases acidity in the stomach, or after laying down too quickly after eating.

But, if you are reaching out for an antacid every other week, it is a huge red flag.  More often than not, when you continue experiencing acidity symptoms on a regular basis, it turns out to be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  

It is a condition where acid from the stomach comes up into the food pipe (esophagus). GERD, when left untreated, can result in serious life-threatening complications, including esophageal cancer.

Also Read:  76k women at risk of losing their lives to breast cancer in India every year

Here are 7 symptoms that you should definitely watch out for if you have frequent acidity:

1. Frequent Heartburn

If you experience heartburn more than 2 times a week on a regular basis, be assured it is not normal. Starting somewhere in the abdomen and extending to your throat, heartburn is more commonly experienced after taking a meal.

2. Morning Nausea

In GERD, stomach acid goes back to the mouth and esophagus, leading to nausea and a bad, sour taste in the mouth.This commonly happens in the morning, because there’s a long gap between dinner and breakfast the next morning.

3. Chronic Dry Cough

In addition to heartburn, unexplained coughing that gets aggravated at night is one of the primary symptoms of this disease.

4. Hoarseness

Acid reflux making its way to the voice box can lead to hoarseness and sore-throat for no apparent reason.  

5. Chest Pain

Pain that starts high in the abdomen is one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux, however,  if you feel pain rising in your chest for any reason what so ever, it is always advisable to get medical help ASAP.

6. Regurgitation

Partially digested food coming back to the throat, signifies indigestion, something that is not meant to be taken lightly.

7. Bad Breath

In spite of brushing twice a day and flossing regularly, if you constantly use mints and chewing gums to mask your bad breath, it may very well be a case of GERD as acid reflux causes stinky breath.

Also Read:  Is liquid nitrogen even healthy for you? Here’s the downside of the latest Indian food trend

Some lifestyle changes are said to very helpful in relieving GERD and its symptoms, including maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tight-fitting clothes-especially around the abdomen, eating small and frequent meals, elevating the head of your bed and not eating spicy or greasy food.

However, it is strictly advisable to get a medical check-up done if you notice one or more of the above mentioned symptoms.

Is GERD Keeping You Up at Night?

You’re trying to get a good night’s sleep, but it just isn’t happening. In addition to tossing and turning, the burning sensation of heartburn isn’t making your sleep efforts any easier.

What’s going on? Was it something you ate? Your sleeping position?

Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are frequent causes of sleeplessness. As many as one in four people who experience sleep disturbances report that they have nighttime heartburn.

For people who have been diagnosed with GERD, the rate is even higher; three people out of four report having nocturnal GERD symptoms. These individuals are more likely to suffer sleep problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness as a result of their nighttime heartburn.

Sleeplessness poses a serious health problem. In addition to the physical and mental effects that stem from lack of sleep, people who experience nocturnal GERD are at greater risk for some of the worst complications of the disease, including erosive esophagitis, dyspepsia, and esophageal cancer.

How Does GERD Disturb Sleep?

Researchers have figured out several ways in which GERD-related acid reflux interferes with sleep:

• Most obviously, individuals may be awakened by the pain of heartburn, which occurs when stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus and eats away at the esophageal lining.
• If acid reflux reaches the back of the throat or larynx, it may prompt a coughing fit or choking.
• People might wake up when they experience regurgitation, in which a small amount of stomach acid comes up through their esophagus and into their mouth.
• GERD has been identified as a risk factor for sleep apnea, a disorder in which the person repeatedly stops breathing during the night. Researchers believe that refluxed stomach acid causes the voice box to spasm, which blocks the airways and prevents air from flowing into the lungs.

Unfortunately, many of the mechanisms of sleep make GERD more likely. For example, just the act of lying down increases the risk of acid reflux. When you are in a sitting or standing position, gravity helps keep gastric acid in the stomach. When you lie flat, however, it’s much easier for stomach acid to backflow into your esophagus.

Also, sleeping people tend to swallow less frequently. This slows the regular esophageal contractions that normally keep food moving down the esophagus and prevent acid from moving back up. Sleepers also produce less saliva, which plays a role in returning esophageal pH levels to normal after an incident of acid reflux.

GERD and Sleep Position: Dos and Don’ts

If you are a GERD sufferer, you can do a lot to improve your quality of sleep by changing your sleeping position. Doctors recommend that you:

• Do elevate the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches to assist gravity in keeping your stomach acid from refluxing.
• Don’t sleep on your back, particularly if you are obese, because the pressure on your stomach could help drive acid into your esophagus.
• Don’t sleep on your right side. For some reason, this seems to prompt relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter — the tight ring of muscle connecting the stomach and esophagus that normally defends against reflux.
• Do sleep on your left side. This is the position that has been found to best reduce acid reflux.

You also can improve your chances of a good night’s sleep by waiting for three to four hours after you eat before going to bed. That gives your stomach a chance to process your meal and move it through your digestive system. Your stomach will then be empty and less likely to promote reflux when you lie down. Eating a smaller and lighter dinner also is a good idea.

With a few lifestyle adjustments, you can save yourself a lot of the discomfort that comes from the dual problems of GERD and sleeplessness.

When Heartburn Signals Cancer Risk

Summary

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a potentially serious condition that, untreated, can ultimately lead to cancer of the esophagus. MSK surgeon Daniela Molena discusses what you should know about GERD, a related condition called Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal cancer.

Highlights

• Although it’s still considered rare, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is one of the fastest growing cancers.

• Middle-aged and older white men who are overweight are at greatest risk of developing the disease.

• MSK offers screening programs for those most likely to develop adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

You’ve probably seen TV commercials for over-the-counter heartburn medications that feature diners clutching at their chests after eating a big meal. But you may not know that heartburn can be a symptom of something called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a potentially serious condition that — if left untreated — can ultimately lead to esophageal cancer.

Although still considered rare, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, the most common form of esophageal cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers in terms of incidence. It’s most frequent in middle-aged and older white men, especially those who are overweight.

“When patients come to me after they find out they have esophageal cancer, the number-one thing they say to me is, ‘I wish I had known that GERD is related to cancer,’” says Memorial Sloan Kettering surgeon Daniela Molena, who specializes in treating esophageal cancer and other cancers of the chest. “Most of them have had GERD for a long time, sometimes decades.”

When GERD Progresses to Esophageal Cancer

GERD develops when acid that digests food in the stomach washes up into the esophagus. Often it occurs in people who overeat or who lie down too soon after eating. It may also be caused by defects in the valve that connects the esophagus to the stomach or by a condition called hiatal hernia, which is when the upper part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm and into the chest.

After someone has had GERD for many years, it can advance to a condition called Barrett’s esophagus. “Barrett’s is a defensive mechanism of your esophagus,” Dr. Molena explains. “When the esophagus is bathed in acid all the time, it wants to protect itself, and so the cells in the lining begin to change. These changes can advance to become cancer.”

Barrett’s is a defensive mechanism of your esophagus … [and] can advance to become cancer.

Daniela Molena
thoracic surgeon

When patients develop Barrett’s esophagus, their GERD symptoms often disappear. “It’s typical for patients with esophageal cancer to tell me that they suffered from GERD for years, but then it went away and they stopped taking their GERD medications, which would have actually reduced their cancer risk,” Dr. Molena says.

Not everyone with GERD has the typical symptoms, which are heartburn and regurgitation soon after eating. Up to 20% may have different symptoms, such as coughing or chest pain, a sore throat or hoarse voice, or even frequent sinus infections. It’s important to talk to your doctor about any of these.

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Should We Screen for Esophageal Cancer in Everyone with GERD?

Experts say no. Even in people with GERD, esophageal cancer is still considered a rare disease. It occurs in about 17,000 people in the United States each year. (This number takes into account all kinds of esophageal cancer, including the other main one, squamous cell disease. This type is strongly linked to smoking and heavy alcohol consumption, making many of these cancers preventable as well.)

Not everyone who has GERD knows that they have it, because they may have atypical symptoms.

However, Dr. Molena says, some people should talk with their doctor about having an endoscopy — a test in which a scope is inserted into the mouth and down the esophagus — to look for Barrett’s esophagus. This includes people who have had GERD for more than ten years, especially those whose reflux disease started when they were very young, white males over 50, and those who have a hiatal hernia or are overweight.

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MSK’s Barrett’s Esophagus Screening Program

Only a small number of people with Barrett’s esophagus will ultimately develop cancer. But for people who have Barrett’s with no dysplasia (precancerous cells), MSK experts recommend undergoing screening with endoscopy every three to five years. We offer a screening program for these patients, who are monitored by our multidisciplinary team of experts. We may also provide surgery to eliminate GERD, especially for patients who have a large hiatal hernia or can’t take medication due to side effects.

MSK offers screening programs for people at high risk for esophageal cancer.

“Barrett’s esophagus progresses in a very methodical way,” Dr. Molena explains. “If we monitor patients with Barrett’s, we can remove precancerous lesions using an endoscope before they become more serious. Ninety percent of patients who have these procedures are able to avoid cancer, and they don’t even need to have invasive surgery.”

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Treatment Options for Those with Cancer of the Esophagus

For those who do have esophageal cancer, MSK uses treatments that are tailored to each individual patient. Most patients eventually require surgery, and 99% are able to have it through minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy or robotic surgery. These approaches result in shorter recovery times and fewer side effects.

Our researchers are developing more precise radiation therapy, which shrinks tumors, makes them easier to remove, and reduces the risk that the cancer will spread elsewhere in the body. MSK medical oncologists are also using genetic testing to identify which patients may benefit from clinical trials with targeted therapies.

“Treatment for esophageal cancer has improved dramatically in the past few years,” Dr. Molena says. “It’s important for patients to know that we have a lot to offer, and we are committed to helping them in their fight, from diagnosis to cure.”

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Reflux in Children: MedlinePlus

What are reflux (GER) and GERD?

The esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. If your child has reflux, his or her stomach contents come back up into the esophagus. Another name for reflux is gastroesophageal reflux (GER).

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a more serious and long-lasting type of reflux. If your child has reflux more than twice a week for a few weeks, it could be GERD.

What causes reflux and GERD in children?

There is a muscle (the lower esophageal sphincter) that acts as a valve between the esophagus and stomach. When your child swallows, this muscle relaxes to let food pass from the esophagus to the stomach. This muscle normally stays closed, so the stomach contents don’t flow back into the esophagus.

In children who have reflux and GERD, this muscle becomes weak or relaxes when it shouldn’t, and the stomach contents flow back into the esophagus. This can happen because of:

How common are reflux and GERD in children?

Many children have occasional reflux. GERD is not as common; up to 25% of children have symptoms of GERD.

What are the symptoms of reflux and GERD in children?

Your child might not even notice reflux. But some children taste food or stomach acid at the back of the mouth.

In children, GERD can cause:

How do doctors diagnose reflux and GERD in children?

In most cases, a doctor diagnoses reflux by reviewing your child’s symptoms and medical history. If the symptoms do not get better with lifestyle changes and anti-reflux medicines, your child may need testing to check for GERD or other problems.

Several tests can help a doctor diagnose GERD. Sometimes doctors order more than one test to get a diagnosis. Commonly-used tests include:

• Upper GI series, which looks at the shape of your child’s upper GI (gastrointestinal) tract. You child will drink a contrast liquid called barium. For young children, the barium is mixed in with a bottle or other food. The health care professional will take several x-rays of your child to track the barium as it goes through the esophagus and stomach.
• Esophageal pH and impedance monitoring, which measures the amount of acid or liquid in your child’s esophagus. A doctor or nurse places a thin flexible tube through your child’s nose into the stomach. The end of the tube in the esophagus measures when and how much acid comes back up into the esophagus. The other end of the tube attaches to a monitor that records the measurements. Your child will wear the tube for 24 hours. He or she may need to stay in the hospital during the test.
• Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and biopsy, which uses an endoscope, a long, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end of it. The doctor runs the endoscope down your child’s esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine. While looking at the pictures from the endoscope, the doctor may also take tissue samples (biopsy).

What lifestyle changes can help treat my child’s reflux or GERD?

Sometimes reflux and GERD in children can be treated with lifestyle changes:

• Losing weight, if needed
• Eating smaller meals
• Avoiding high-fat foods
• Wearing loose-fitting clothing around the abdomen
• Staying upright for 3 hours after meals and not reclining and slouching when sitting
• Sleeping at a slight angle. Raise the head of your child’s bed 6 to 8 inches by safely putting blocks under the bedposts.

What treatments might the doctor give for my child’s GERD?

If changes at home do not help enough, the doctor may recommend medicines to treat GERD. The medicines work by lowering the amount of acid in your child’s stomach.

Some medicines for GERD in children are over-the-counter, and some are prescription medicines. They include:

• Over-the-counter antacids
• h3 blockers, which decrease acid production
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which lower the amount of acid the stomach makes
• Prokinetics, which help the stomach empty faster

If these don’t help and your child still has severe symptoms, then surgery might be an option. A pediatric gastroenterologist, a doctor who treats children who have digestive diseases, would do the surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Heartburn in the morning ⛑ symptoms of morning heartburn

If the morning begins not with coffee, but with an unpleasant burning pain in the stomach or esophagus, this may indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Morning heartburn can occur after a heavy dinner, a party with excessive alcohol consumption. But regular bouts of heartburn in the morning can be indicative of a health problem and should be examined.

What is heartburn

Heartburn is a very broad concept.These are feelings of discomfort, which can manifest itself in different ways for everyone. People describe it as “burning”, “irritation”, some people experience pain and nausea, they say that it burns in the throat.

In medicine, heartburn is not considered a disease, but this condition may indicate the presence of other disorders. Unpleasant sensations usually occur after eating, but there is a special condition – heartburn in the morning. A person wakes up with stomach discomfort and a “burning” throat.

Most often, heartburn is triggered by reflux – this is the reflux of stomach contents back into the esophagus.The mucous membrane of the esophagus is irritated by gastric acids and heartburn occurs. Reflux disease in medical terminology is called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). In addition to her, heartburn is caused by other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: ulcers, gastritis, esophagitis, increased acidity of the stomach. With these pathologies, heartburn often occurs on an empty stomach and morning burning sensation in the esophagus.

Morning heartburn: causes

Food enters the stomach through a kind of gate – the lower esophageal sphincter.These are multiple folds that open and close like a valve. Gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, ammonia, nitrogen-containing substances and digestive enzymes – these substances are responsible for the digestion of food. If the sphincter is relaxed, food is thrown back from the stomach along with acids that irritate the esophageal mucosa, from which it becomes inflamed, baked and sore.

Active production of gastric juice occurs during meals, as well as when the body wakes up, that is, in the morning.

If you skip breakfast, the stomach begins to “digest itself”, acids irritate its walls and heartburn sets in. Another point is a cup of morning coffee or some chocolate on an empty stomach. These are aggressor products, they activate the production of gastric juice and by themselves irritate the mucous membrane. These are common causes of heartburn in the morning. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract increase the secretion of acid and relax the esophageal sphincter.

Unbalanced nutrition and disturbed daily regimen contribute to the development of morning heartburn.Dinner after 19.00, and even more so at 22.00, is not a very good decision. If you eat dinner before bed, the pressure on the sphincter while lying down will increase and the food will be digested more slowly. This leads to reflux and heartburn. Some simply do not notice her at night, and in the morning she makes itself felt.

Signs of morning heartburn

It is hard not to feel the signs of heartburn in the morning: a person gets up with an unpleasant sensation in the stomach, often heartburn is intertwined with hunger, but the discomfort disappears after a hearty breakfast.

Heartburn in the morning is itself a symptom. When it is supplemented by other conditions, it can indicate diseases of the internal organs:

• nausea and pain in the upper abdomen — signs of a peptic ulcer;
• bloating appears with gastritis;
• Increased acidity of gastric juice accompanies GERD;
• cough and perspiration, along with heartburn, can be the result of diseases of the bronchi and lungs;
• An increasing burning sensation behind the sternum is a common sign of a heart attack.

Morning heartburn can occur in pregnant women.

Some symptoms are classified as “disturbing” [1]:

• sudden weight loss;

90,035 blood in the stool;

• heartburn for more than 3 weeks;
• fast feeling of stomach fullness.

If you experience these symptoms, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of morning heartburn includes examinations aimed at identifying the underlying disease:

• analysis of gastric acidity;
• FGDS (fibrogastroduodenoscopy) – examination of the stomach with a probe or endoscope;
• laboratory tests – biochemical blood test, feces analysis, determination of Helicobacter pylori;
• pH-metry – monitoring of daily changes in gastric acidity;
• endoscopy with contrast for difficult diagnosis of the disease [2];
• esophagomanometry – measurement of pressure inside the esophagus.

Women with heartburn in the morning may be advised to have a pregnancy test (if, of course, there are other manifestations of pregnancy).

Treatment

To quickly eliminate heartburn on an empty stomach, you need to have breakfast on time. Food should not be dense, but hearty and nutritious. It is better to replace heavy fats and high-calorie chocolate with light cereals and fruits. For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to eat oatmeal in water, because it has a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa.

Heartburn in the morning can be removed with antacids – these are salt-based preparations that neutralize the effect of hydrochloric acid and increase the pH of gastric juice. For example, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate act in a few minutes [3]. Rennie ^® is a preparation containing both of these components. It does not need to be washed down with water, it is a chewable tablet with a pleasant mint or orange flavor. Rennie ^® – tablets that begin to eliminate heartburn within 2 minutes. It is a drug with a favorable safety profile and is approved even for pregnant women with heartburn.

Antacids are recommended by the World Organization of Gastroenterologists in the treatment of reflux disease and to eliminate heartburn [4]. But before taking, you need to read the instructions and visit a doctor.

[1] UMHS GERD Guideline, September, 2013. Guidelines for Clinical Care Ambulatory, Michigan Medical University.

[2] UNIFIKOVANIY KLINICHNYY PROTOCOL OF THE FIRST, SECOND (special) MEDICAL HELP. GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX OF BRIBUS.Order of the Ministry of Health Protection of Ukraine dated January 31, 2013 No. 943.

[3] Mironycheva TS .. “Comparative evaluation of the neutralization rate and buffering time of magnesium hydroxoaluminate” Science and modernity, no. 6-2, 2010, pp. 289-293.

[4] World Gastroenterological Organization Global Guidelines. GERD. A global perspective on gastroesophageal reflux disease. 2015 year.

Doctors told what products will relieve heartburn after a feast

There are long New Year holidays ahead, which means abundant feasts that can provoke the occurrence of heartburn.Fortunately, you can get rid of it, or at least extinguish the symptoms without medication, with the help of products that everyone has at home.

In addition to diseases of the digestive system, heartburn can be caused by alcohol, smoking, fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, fruit juices, spicy, sweet, sour, spicy foods, fresh baked goods, carbonated drinks. If an unpleasant burning sensation in the esophagus occurs no more than once or twice a month, there is most likely no reason for concern, but if at least twice a week or once a week, but throughout the year, then this is already a reason to consult a doctor, KP said …RU doctor-gastroenterologist Marat Zinnatullin.

According to him, one of the simple and effective ways to get rid of heartburn is to take alkaline mineral water.

– Ginger removes heartburn from products. In extreme cases, you can use soda, but you should not abuse this method, – explained the gastroenterologist.

It is better to make an infusion of ginger without sugar and use it after meals. As for soda (a pinch dissolved in water), it will extinguish the acidity in the stomach for a short time, while gas is released, which brings discomfort.Therefore, it should be considered only as an emergency tool if nothing else is at hand. And to help with heartburn, although not always, the following products can:

Milk

A glass of milk can relieve an unpleasant sensation in the esophagus. It washes away acid and also binds it in the stomach – this is facilitated by anti-inflammatory components and proteins. But this method is not suitable for those who do not like or intolerant to milk, lactose. Sometimes the opposite effect can also occur – increased heartburn.

Yogurt with probiotics

It also contains anti-inflammatory ingredients that soothe irritated esophagus and proteins that are useful in this case. In general, probiotics improve digestion and normalize bowel function, as a result, food with acid passes into the intestines faster. But yogurt must be natural and sugar-free – otherwise, heartburn will only worsen.

Apple cider vinegar

A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (but by no means ordinary, and certainly not vinegar essence) mixed with 50-100 ml of water can also eliminate heartburn.However, this recipe does not help everyone – many people note that they do not notice any particular improvements in their condition.

Chewing gum

Several publications have reported the effectiveness of chewing gum in reducing acidity when chewed after meals for 20-30 minutes. But chewing gum should be sugar-free and not minty, otherwise you can only aggravate your condition.

Bananas

This fruit can relieve heartburn symptoms as it normalizes digestion and quenches acid by enveloping the esophagus.The tone of the digestive system is normalized thanks to vitamins and trace elements, but scientific evidence that banana saves precisely from heartburn has not yet been found.

Heartburn: symptoms and causes

Almost everyone has experienced heartburn at least once in their life, but not everyone knows what provokes this unpleasant condition. The symptoms of heartburn are very simple, and the causes can be both daily habits and serious pathologies. Therefore, it is important to recognize the problem in time and find out its cause.

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is not an independent disease, but only a symptom that can signal various conditions and pathologies. It is felt as an uncomfortable burning sensation in the sternum.

The negative process is triggered when stomach juice splashes from the digestive tract into the esophagus. It has an irritating effect on mucous tissues, and as a result, there is that very burning sensation.During normal functioning of the digestive system, a special valve between the esophagus and stomach should prevent acid from entering the esophagus tube. Sometimes this valve does not close in whole or in part. Seizures can vary in frequency and severity.

Characteristic features

The classic symptoms of heartburn, as well as the signs that accompany it:

• nausea;
• Bitterness or acidity is felt in the mouth;
• gas exit through the esophagus;
• state of burning behind the breastbone;
• unpleasant feelings in the throat, esophagus, sometimes with a transition to the shoulders;
• excessive heaviness in the stomach;
• salivation;
• cough or hoarseness.

It is very important to prevent heartburn and maintain intestinal microflora. These tasks are handled by the complex of probiotics Elbifid – Essential Probiotics, which maintains the balance of the natural intestinal microflora, which is responsible for the quality of the immune response and the harmonization of the digestive system.

It is also worth drawing your attention to Bifidogenous balm – Siberian Propolis Agate, which also has a fruitful effect on the natural balance of intestinal microflora, stimulating its growth.The improved formula of the balm contains even more lactulose and Siberian medicinal herbs.

Attention! The attack can last from a few seconds to several hours.

Causes of heartburn

There are several reasons that trigger heartburn. If these attacks occur frequently, a doctor should be consulted. This may be a sign of a gastrointestinal tract disorder requiring treatment. There are other provoking factors:

• mild food poisoning, eg expired food;
• high indicators of intra-abdominal pressure;

90,035 smoking;

• diaphragmatic hernia;

90,035 mistakes in the composition of the daily diet and in food intake;

• Frequent consumption of caffeinated beverages;
• pregnancy;
• The clothes are too tight.

Attention! In most cases, heartburn is caused by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: pancreatitis, gastritis, ulcers, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, and problems with the sphincter in the lower esophagus.

How to suppress burning attacks?

There are several ways to suppress an attack of heartburn at home:

1. Once a day, drink 80 grams of apple cider vinegar diluted in 200 ml of boiled water.
2. Drink potato juice before meals.
3. Almonds and walnuts are more common.
4. Dissolve 5 tablets of activated carbon in a glass of milk and take this mixture before meals.

Herbal tea from wild herbs No. 5 (Comfortable digestion) from the Baikal Tea Collection will help you to feel comfort and lightness in the stomach thanks to the unique composition of Siberian herbs. Chamomile, kurilian tea, plantain and buckwheat normalize the digestive system and restore the intestinal microflora.

As a snack, you can use the Nutritious cocktail Vanilla Delight – Yoo Go, rich in vitamins, amino acids and healthy fats. Each serving is a complete, healthy snack packed with fiber, omega-3 PUFAs, protein, and L-carnitine. The balanced composition provides the body with vital nutrients and helps to keep you feeling full for a long time.

Attention! Herbal infusions based on plantain, chamomile, St. John’s wort help with heartburn.

Many people use soda to carry out a neutralization reaction. But solving the problem in this way often increases acidity and further increases heartburn in the future. Therefore, it is better to refuse soda.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of heartburn, it is important to eat right and follow the basic principles of prevention:

• do not go to bed within 30-40 minutes after eating;
• after eating, you can not bend over and expose the body to physical activity for at least 15 minutes;
• you need to take food 5-6 times a day in small portions;
• while eating, one should not rush and talk, it is important to chew everything thoroughly;
• it is necessary to drink food with mineral alkaline water in small quantities.

Women in the position are advised to sleep so that the head is higher than the legs, preferably on the back. It is also recommended to consume milk and dairy products more often, but it is better to refuse sour fruits.

90,000 Those who smoke a cigarette early in the morning risk not only lung cancer, but also head and neck tumors

The first morning cigarette after sleep is the most important factor in the development of cancers of the lungs, neck and head, according to a study by American scientists.It showed that it is the smoking regimen that has a decisive effect on carcinogenesis: the probability of getting sick almost doubles.

The risk of cancer depends not only on the frequency and duration of nicotine use, but also on the smoking regimen, according to a study published in the American scientific journal Cancer .

Those who like to smoke their first cigarette immediately after waking up have a particularly high risk of lung, head and neck cancer.

For those who can refrain from smoking in the morning, the risk is much less. The results of a study by American oncologists will help doctors identify smokers at this active risk group, and the smokers themselves – to adjust their smoking regime to reduce health risks.

Despite the well-known carcinogenic effect of smoking, many smokers live to old age without suffering from the prophesied terrible diseases, which cause skepticism among novice smokers about the threats of doctors.Professor Joshua Muscat and colleagues at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine have asked what makes cancer smokers stand out from all addicts. They hypothesized that the mode of nicotine use had a greater influence on carcinogenesis than the frequency and duration of smoking.

The study of the smoking regimen was carried out on 4775 patients with lung cancer, the control group included another 2835 patients.

People who smoked their first cigarette less than half an hour after waking up had a 1.79 times higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who had abstained from smoking for an hour or more after sleeping.

Those who smoked the first cigarette after 31-60 minutes risk 1.31 times more.

The sample for head and neck cancers was smaller – 1055 patients and 795 healthy patients (of course, both smoked).

Malignant tumors of the head and neck in smokers 31–60 minutes after sleep were 1.42 times more likely than in smokers only an hour later.

Those who could not stand in the morning and half an hour without a cigarette suffered from oncological diseases of the neck and head 1.59 times more often.

Thus, morning smoking in bed places a person in the main risk group for three types of cancer.

“These smokers provide their bodies with higher levels of nicotine and other toxins found in tobacco. Most likely, their addiction is more serious than that of people who abstain from smoking in the morning for at least half an hour or an hour, ”says Professor Muscat.

Physicians explain the propensity for more severe dependence by a combination of genetic and psychological (personal) factors. They urge people who smoke right after sleep to think more seriously about their health and try to quit smoking.

We treat heartburn with folk remedies – RU.DELFI

Remedies for heartburn.

Before using any of the following methods, be sure to go to your doctor, as often heartburn is nothing more than a signal from the body that something is wrong with it.

– The easiest way is to drink coal powder with water . It quickly destroys heartburn and, for a fairly long period of time, from discomfort.

– Fresh leaf or 2 chew and swallow mint – heartburn subsides.

– To get rid of heartburn, chew a small piece of calamus rhizome and swallow it with water (or not). This method is good if you live outside the city for some time.

– Eating some early morning sorrel is also a good way to get rid of heartburn.

– You can quickly extinguish heartburn with ordinary baking soda and a glass of warm boiled water .Dissolve a pinch of baking soda and drink the mixture slowly, taking 2-3 small sips per minute. Try to drink everything before the water cools. Soda reacts with acidic gastric juice. As a result, heartburn gradually goes away

– During heartburn, you can take ordinary chalk , heat it for 30 minutes in a hot frying pan and take 1 tsp. 3 times a day one hour before meals.

– Can be brewed instead of tea chamomile .

– Removes heartburn clay , if at lunchtime and in the evening one hour before meals, take it inside 0.5 teaspoon.

– In the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening, an hour before meals, consume 1/2 teaspoon of honey .

Fees for heartburn.

First collection: You will need St. John’s wort herb (20g), plantain leaves (20g), chamomile inflorescences (5g). Brew the mixture with boiling water, insist and take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

The second collection for heartburn is as follows: grass St. John’s wort, yarrow and caddie
marsh mix equally.Insist 3 tablespoons of the mixture for 2 hours in 1 liter of boiling water, drain. Drink 1/2 tbsp. 4-5 times a day, This remedy helps not only with heartburn, but also with pain in the stomach.

Very effective raw potato juice . It is good not only for heartburn, but is also an effective prophylactic agent for chronic gastritis. Drink a quarter of a glass of juice about 4 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals. After 2-3 weeks, heartburn will stop bothering you. The course of treatment can be stopped immediately, or you can continue (to regulate the stomach).But it’s better to drink juice 2 times a day.

Egg shells for heartburn.

Powder the white eggshells in a coffee grinder or mortar. If the eggs were bought at a store, then pre-calcine the shells in the oven. If the acidity of the stomach is increased, then just drink half a teaspoon of the powder with water, and if it is lowered, then mix 1 tbsp. water with 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and 1 tsp. honey and take 2 times a day before or after meals.

Sugar onions are an excellent remedy for heartburn.

Finely grate a medium onion and mix the gruel 1: 1 with sugar. Chew until everything is dissolved, 1 tablespoon each. mixtures on an empty stomach and two hours after meals. This is the way to get rid of heartburn.

Tincture for heartburn.

To stop the occurrence of heartburn, it is useful to drink 30 g of a special tincture daily before lunch. The tincture is prepared as follows: pour the finely chopped roots of the cruciform gentian with red wine and leave for 3 weeks.The remedy helps with persistent heartburn, and also improves the general condition of the body. In the same situation, that is, with persistent heartburn, ash from birch bark will help out.

It should be taken half a teaspoon once a day with water. And another way to treat heartburn is an infusion of purple Dubrovnik. All parts of the plant are suitable for it, but they must be collected during flowering. 4 tsp raw materials, which are pre-dried and crushed, pour a glass of boiling water, insist, strain.Drink the infusion during the day.

Buckwheat for heartburn.

Fry the buckwheat until dark brown, crush, sift. Take on the tip of a knife 3-4 times a day. Heartburn will not bother you.

Walnuts for heartburn.

Walnuts help remove heartburn.
Recipe of the Austrian physician Rudolf Broys for heartburn.

Herbs for heartburn.

Prepare a collection of herbs: St. John’s wort – 75 g, mint – 75 g, sweet clover – 100 g.Pour 3 tablespoons of the collection in the evening into a thermos with 3 cups of boiling water. Strain in the morning, divide into 4 parts and take one hour before meals.

Acorns for heartburn.

You can grind acorns and eat 1 tsp 3 times a day. powder with warm milk.

Wonderful collection for heartburn.

Remarkably relieves heartburn such a collection: St. John’s wort – 100 g, peppermint – 100 g, Umbellifera centaury – 75 g. Put 2 tablespoons of the collection in the evening in a thermos and pour 2 cups of boiling water.Strain in the morning. Take 100 g 4 times a day.

Oats are an excellent remedy for heartburn.

1. Take unpeeled oats, rinse well and dry. The recipe is simple: you need to boil a glass of milk for a hundred- Every morning for a month on an empty stomach, chew 13 grains of oats until there is no chaff in your mouth. Spit it out and then try not to eat for 2-3 hours.

2. Take 3 st. tablespoons of oatmeal, pour warm boiled water up to 1 cup and soak overnight, stir in the morning, strain and drink on an empty stomach, and then eat the cereal, add a little milk or sour cream to it and do so for 2 weeks, then 2 weeks break and repeat …Get rid of heartburn!

Cabbage will relieve heartburn.

Slowly eat a whole cabbage leaf 5-10 minutes before bedtime. In addition to getting rid of heartburn, sleep will improve, bloating and fermentation in it will disappear (if it bothers you).

Helps with heartburn:

– Tincture wormwood on alcohol or vodka – 5-10 drops (per 1 tablespoon of water) 3-5 times a day. The same effect is exerted by the tincture of Rhodiola rosea, 5-10 drops 1-2 times a day.

– 1 st. spoon herb centaury pour a glass of hot water and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain and take 1/4 cup 30 minutes before meals.

– Brew chamomile and lemon balm instead of ordinary tea . Melissa is an excellent remedy for stress-related heartburn.

– Chew 3-4 peas of fresh or dry peas (soak the latter in water).

Peas will relieve heartburn

If you suffer from heartburn, take 3-5 softened peas and chew. If it doesn’t work the first time, chew the peas 3-5 times a day.

Heartburn: causes, symptoms and treatment

25 gr. dried herbs must be poured with 230 gr. boiling water. Next, you need to insist for 3.5 hours and drink 1.5 tbsp. tablespoons 17 minutes before eating.

Dried celery roots must be properly crushed until they turn into a coarse powder.2.5 teaspoons of roots pour 230 gr. boiling water and let it brew for about 33 minutes. In this case, the healing solution should be drunk in small portions within 24 hours. Celery has a beneficial effect on the body, due to which heartburn is eliminated in a day. In the event that heartburn is systematic, then the infusion is most beneficial to use for 6-7 days, after which the heartburn will go away by itself.

The ailment will disappear if you drink a little olive oil when you feel a burning sensation.The advantage of this product is that, by enveloping the stomach, it prevents acid from entering the esophagus. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use sunflower oil.

A tablespoon of pre-ground wormwood must be poured with 225 gr. boiling water, and then leave for 2.5 hours. Consume 125 grams. immediately before eating, about 2 – 3 times a day.

Experts have identified another effective way to get rid of heartburn. This is warm water.To prevent relapse, you need to drink 255 grams every morning. non-carbonated warm water, which will help significantly reduce the acidity of the stomach.

How to eliminate heartburn at home

Alkaline properties are endowed with the shell of hard-boiled eggs . In order to use it, you need to grind it to a powdery state and take a teaspoon per day.

Cooking Salt . Put the grains of table salt in your mouth and hold them for 3 seconds.Swallow salty saliva.

For a long time ginger has been used as the most effective remedy for heartburn. It is actively used to eliminate heartburn. At the same time, you can eat it both before and after meals. This approach will make it possible to prevent the acid reflex. Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as aids in digestion. Give preference to fresh root.

The traditional classic remedy for heartburn is fennel , which must be taken a teaspoon (seed) after eating.

Rice .