Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or Gerd.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a more serious form of gastroesophageal reflux, which is common. GERD occurs when the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) opens spontaneously, for varying periods of time, or does not close properly and stomach contents rise up into the esophagus. GERD is also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation, because digestive juices called acids rise up with the food. The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

The LES is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach. There are many different way to prevent GERD, here are a few examples of these preventions, maintain a healthy body weight, avoid large meals and eating within 3 hours of bedtime, limit fatty or greasy foods, chocolate, caffeine, and other irritating foods, avoid alcohol, stop smoking, maintain good posture, especially while seated, avoid working out, bending, or stooping on a full stomach.

With some of the causes of this disease being smoking, caffeine, greasy foods, being overweight, this can be factors that can be very difficult when it comes to preventing GERD, sometimes we do not have the money or will power to just stop smoking, as well losing the weight that it would take to prevent this digestive system disease. This can make it very frustrating unless we can get the help we need.

Maybe some strategies that could help to prevent these factors from becoming a major problem would be talk to your physician and see if there is any way that he/she can help you if you are a smoker, or are overweight. Also if this is a disease that runs in your family get tested if you have ever experienced any of the symptoms that goes with this disease, by being tested you are doing your part to help prevent it.