Symptoms and Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Changes in Lifestyle and Eating Habits

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which many Koreans suffer from but often do not receive proper treatment for.

Whenever symptoms become severe, I also visit the hospital frequently...

Ultimately, if you do not change your lifestyle and eating habits, it is a chronic disease that will not be well managed.

Let's try to live without the inconvenience of bad habits ingrained in our bodies, even if complete recovery is difficult.

 

Everyone is getting sick, but because the severity of symptoms varies, for those who are truly suffering intensely, the pain is indescribable—this is what reflux esophagitis feels like.

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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the inflammation of the esophagus caused by the reflux of stomach contents or acid into the esophagus.

The esophagus is the passage that carries food entering through the mouth to the stomach, and in adults, it is about 25 cm long.

The lower esophageal sphincter, located in the lower part of the esophagus, acts as a valve to prevent food that has moved down from the stomach from flowing back into the esophagus. When this area does not close properly, reflux of food and stomach acid that has moved down can occur.

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In my case, it's a chronic condition I've had since high school due to poor eating habits, and since my lifestyle hasn't improved, I continue to suffer from the same symptoms even as I get older.

I'm comforted by the fact that it's not a disease I suffer from every day for a year, but rather I get a gastroscopy every two years to check if it has worsened.

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My symptoms generally include severe burning pain from just below the sternum to the throat immediately after eating, and occasionally, the food I eat, which isn't even food, comes back up in small amounts along with stomach acid, as if I am regurgitating.

Since it is accompanied by stomach acid, symptoms such as sore throat, burning pain, discomfort, nausea feeling like vomiting, and the sensation of a lump in the throat may occur.

So, within an hour after eating, I generally avoid adopting a posture where I bow my head.

Especially after overeating a little, leaning your head down tends to make you feel nauseous 100% of the time;;

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I undergo an upper endoscopy every two years for follow-up, but I always receive the same diagnoses of gastritis and reflux esophagitis. I am also a carrier of Helicobacter pylori, but I cannot take antibiotics due to severe side effects. It is said that whether Helicobacter pylori directly affects gastritis or stomach cancer has not yet been determined. In fact, I am also part of the experimental group for that test.

Hehe, but Will is enjoying eating it.

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This year, I experienced a lot of stressful events.

As expected, eating food is also difficult, and even when I do eat, the persistent heartburn symptoms are very severe, so I have been going to the hospital and taking medication, but I haven't improved as much as I expected.

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Generally, reflux esophagitis like this is closely related to factors such as obesity, alcohol consumption, and smoking, but in my case, none of these apply. The main factors seem to be achalasia of the stomach, long-standing poor eating habits (such as fasting followed by binge eating, and consuming spicy foods), and stress-related factors.

As expected, the root of all illnesses is stress!

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The original cause of reflux esophagitis is...

Overeating, obesity, pregnancy, greasy foods, alcohol consumption, smoking, and foods like coffee, chocolate, and orange juice can also have negative effects.

Stomach acid, food, digestive enzymes, and other contents can irritate the esophagus, causing pain, coughing, and inflammation, which may lead to symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and difficulty swallowing.

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Symptoms include heartburn (a burning sensation from the upper stomach to the throat) and vomiting caused by acid reflux (a bitter and sour taste of stomach acid and food gradually coming up) - in severe cases, chest pain is reported. Fortunately, I do not have chest pain, but I experience nausea, vomiting, and severe burning sensations.

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The most important treatment for reflux esophagitis is changing lifestyle habits.

These days, I don't overeat much like I used to, but I tend to get sleepy after eating;;; I have a habit of trying to lie down immediately after eating, so I am constantly trying to change that.

The dietary approach involves avoiding the fatty foods, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, chocolate, and other substances mentioned earlier, as well as medications that lower the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter.

It is also advisable to avoid new foods or carbonated drinks that directly irritate the esophageal mucosa.

In my case, I can't take vitamin C supplements right after eating rice;;

In the case of obesity, it is good to lose weight, and regular exercise would also be helpful.

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Above all, it is important to prevent the root cause by correcting such lifestyle habits...

Changing eating habits overnight is very difficult, isn't it?

Eating as little as possible and on time, not lying down immediately after eating, reducing coffee intake, etc...

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I try to make an effort as well, but when symptoms become severe, I have no choice but to rely on medication. Since it's not easy to visit the hospital every time symptoms occur, I always carry certain medicines with me. These are specifically digestive aids (BeaZae & Hwalmyeongsu) and Almagel.

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I often experience frequent indigestion, and since stomach acid frequently refluxes, I always carry antacids with me. When I feel a burning sensation in my stomach, there are rare occasions when the pain becomes severe enough to reach my chest, and in such cases, I always take Almagel.

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Almagel F suspension is a product of Yuhan Corporation and is an antacid.

 

 

Antacids are gastrointestinal medications used for acute symptoms such as heartburn and stomach pain caused by stomach acid. They neutralize stomach acid, reduce the activity of digestive enzymes to alleviate pain, and prevent damage to the gastric mucosa.

Since it is an over-the-counter medication, it can be easily purchased at the pharmacy, and it is packaged for single use, making it convenient to carry around.

The ingredient is almagate, which is a type of antacid that neutralizes stomach acid to relieve heartburn and stomach pain caused by acid. It is an inorganic substance containing aluminum and magnesium, exhibiting mild alkalinity, and chemically neutralizes acids while reducing the activity of the digestive enzyme pepsin, producing a pharmacological effect. It is a medication that acts locally only in the stomach and is not effective in curing the disease itself; it is used temporarily to alleviate symptoms.

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It's a medication I take temporarily only when I have severe stomach pain... Still, among the medications I've tried, I think it relieves symptoms the fastest, so I recommend it.

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Gastroesophageal reflux disease seems to be best managed solely through lifestyle modifications, as previously mentioned.

Fortunately, if you are born healthy and strong and can digest anything you eat, there is no need to worry. However, for someone like me who was born with health issues and a weak constitution, it seems the only way is to be cautious on your own.

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Just thinking about an endoscopy is terrible;;; I should try to protect my body and live healthily.