Acid Reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) affects 60% of the adult population in some way over a 12-month period. In the U.S. alone, $10 billion a year are spent on over the counter and prescription medications to help treat acid reflux. However, these medications only treat the symptoms of GERD, rather than addressing the root causes. That means that you could be stuck taking these medications forever if you have chronic acid reflux, and your condition would never improve.
These medications also carry some negative side effects that can impact other areas of health. Let’s look at some of the medications, how they work, and potential side effects.
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An endoscopy is a common non-surgical procedure in which a flexible tube with an attached light and camera is passed into a person’s digestive tract. This tube is called an endoscope, hence the term endoscopy.
When GERD is suspected in a patient, a gastroenterologist will typically perform an upper endoscopy. During this procedure, the endoscope is easily passed through the mouth and throat into the esophagus and stomach. The light and camera on the endoscope broadcast the images of your digestive tract onto a color monitor so the physician can view them in real time. This allows for the doctor to see any damage to the esophagus up close and assess the severity of the damage, as well as what may have caused it, quickly and easily.
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