Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a chronic disease that causes stomach contents to flow back to the esophagus, thus damaging the esophageal lining, and that results in different symptoms that include heartburn and regurgitation (Herdiana, 2023). GERD is the dysfunction of the lower esophagus sphincter, which should be in a closed position to avoid the regurgitation of the acid to the esophagus. Moreover, obesity, hiatal hernia, and delayed gastric emptying may also be a compounding factor in the condition (Yadlapati et al. 2022).
Therefore, GERD has various complications such as heartburn, esophagitis, and Barrett’s esophagus that increase the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma as explained by Gyawali et al., (2023). Abnormal pressure within the abdomen or malfunction of LES allows the backward flow of stomach acid into the esophagus which forms the basis of GERD (Young et al., 2020). Stomach contents with low pH have an inflammatory effect, undermine the mucosal layer, and contribute to damage the esophageal lining with time when exposed to it.
GERD symptoms are mainly heartburn, regurgitation of undigested food or sour material, difficulty swallowing or dysphagia, and chest pain that may resemble heart disease (Yadlapati et al., 2022). Diagnosis is made through clinical features, ambulatory pH monitoring, and endoscopy to evaluate mucosal injury (Herdiana, 2023).
Several recent studies show that the global prevalence of GERD is on the rise. An article by Gyawali et al., (2023) links this phenomenon to the growth of obesity levels and dietary changes. The disorder also directly affects the healthcare and quality of living, rendering it important to be attended to early.
Lifestyle changes, including weight loss, diet, and avoiding situations, for instance, alcohol and smoking, would be considered management strategies. The pharmacotherapy is based on PPIs and H2 receptor blockers that decrease glandular acid secretion. In some instances of gastroesophageal reflux disease, surgeries such as fundoplication could be done (Herdiana, 2023).
The condition is treated by gastroenterologists. Nevertheless, dietitians are crucial in providing information regarding the diet the patient is advised to take, while surgically constructed cases are handled by surgeons. Furthermore, pulmonologists may get involved in the management of GERD if the condition results in complications such as aspiration pneumonia or chronic cough as noted by Yadlapati et al., (2022). In addition to lowering the chance of related consequences, the participation of these specialists highlights the highest quality of care that patients with chronic acid reflux can have.
References
Gyawali, C. P., Yadlapati, R., Fass, R., Katzka, D., Pandolfino, J., Savarino, E., Sifrim, D., Spechler, S., Zerbib, F., Fox, M. R., Bhatia, S., de Bortoli, N., Cho, Y. K., Cisternas, D., Chen, C.-L., Cock, C., Hani, A., Remes Troche, J. M., Xiao, Y., … Roman, S. (2023). Updates to the modern diagnosis of gerd: Lyon consensus 2.0. Gut, 73(2), 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330616
Herdiana, Y. (2023). Functional Food in Relation to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Nutrients, 15(16), 3583. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163583
Yadlapati, R., Gyawali, C. P., Pandolfino, J. E., Chang, K., Kahrilas, P. J., Katz, P. O., Katzka, D., Komaduri, S., Lipham, J., Menard-Katcher, P., Raman Muthusamy, V., Richter, J., Sharma, V. K., Vaezi, M. F., & Wani, S. (2022). AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Personalized Approach to the Evaluation and Management of GERD: Expert Review. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 20(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2022.01.025
Young, A., Kumar, M. A., & Thota, P. N. (2020). GERD: A practical approach. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 87(4), 223–230. https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.87a.19114
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Question 
Digestive Disorders
Choose a digestive disorder from the text.
- • Define the condition.
- • Address key points of pathophysiology, clinical manifestation and evaluation toward diagnosis and treatment. Use appropriate physiological terms in your response.
- • Analyze data of digestive disorders. What trends or considerations may impact care delivery?
- • Address what other specialties or sciences would be involved in the care?
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- • One page paper, citation APA 7 format after each paragraph.
- • 1 page
- Provide three references. Provide 3 evidence based references to support your content.
Textbook:
- McCance, K. L. & Huether, S. E. (2019). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (8th ed.). St. Louis