5 common myths about gastroesophageal reflux
People with the disease all suffer from heartburn, need endoscopy, and long-term reflux will develop into cancer. These are common misunderstandings.
Gastroesophageal reflux is a condition in which acid from the stomach refluxes into the esophagus. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter acts like a valve, opening to let food pass into the stomach and closing to prevent reflux of gastric juice. When this sphincter weakens or relaxes abnormally, gastric juice easily refluxes into the esophagus, causing unpleasant symptoms.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Huy Thanh, Department of Gastroenterology - Hepatobiliary - Pancreas, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common, but in reality, many people still have incorrect ideas about this disease.
Reflux will definitely cause heartburn and acid reflux
Heartburn and the feeling of fluid or food rising into the mouth are typical symptoms of GERD, but not all patients have these symptoms. In some cases, the disease can cause burning or chest pain, throat tightness, prolonged cough, hoarseness..., without heartburn or acid reflux.
Prolonged stress causes reflux
GERD is associated with many factors such as impaired lower esophageal sphincter function, hiatal hernia, esophageal motility disorders and increased intra-abdominal pressure. Stress and anxiety are factors that make reflux symptoms more obvious or worse, not direct causes of the disease.
Stress can affect how the digestive system works and how the brain perceives irritations from the esophagus. Therefore, people who already have GERD or have a sensitive esophagus, when stressed or anxious, uncomfortable symptoms may increase.
Must abstain from sour and spicy foods
Foods and drinks such as coffee, chocolate, fatty foods, carbonated drinks or acidic foods can trigger flare-ups of reflux symptoms.
The degree of impact of food is different for each patient. A person may experience heartburn after drinking coffee but the person</think> can tolerate it, similar to spicy foods, chocolate or citrus. Patients do not need to eliminate all foods containing caffeine, sour, and spicy from their diet. Instead, they should monitor symptoms after eating to adjust accordingly.
Instead of abstaining too much, patients should avoid eating too much, limit eating close to bedtime, and maintain a gap of about 2-3 hours between the last meal and the time of lying down. Losing weight if you are obese helps improve GERD symptoms.
Reflux requires gastroscopy
According to Dr. Thanh, if symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux are mild, doctors can treat them with acid secretion inhibitors (PPI). In case symptoms improve, the patient does not necessarily need an endoscopy immediately.
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is often considered when symptoms persist, recur, or do not improve despite treatment or when accompanied by warning signs such as choking, painful swallowing, gastrointestinal bleeding, or unintentional weight loss.
Endoscopy helps directly observe the esophageal mucosa, detect esophagitis and complications such as esophageal stricture and Barrett's esophagus. At the same time, doctors can also detect unusual lesions suspected of malignancy for timely assessment and treatment.
Long-term reflux will cause esophageal cancer
Chronic reflux can also lead to Barrett's esophagus - a condition in which the esophageal lining changes to adapt to prolonged exposure to gastric juice.
Barrett's is considered a lesion that can potentially progress to esophageal adenocarcinoma, but this rate is quite low in Vietnam and many Asian countries, according to Dr. Thanh. This risk depends on many factors, including Barrett's segment length and histopathological results.
Doctors advise patients not to have endoscopy too often or take medication without a doctor's prescription. Controlling stress, getting enough sleep, maintaining reasonable exercise, and eating scientifically contribute to symptom control.
Ly Nguyen
