What are the symptoms of GORD?

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) is a most common condition in which the regurgitation of stomach acid content to the esophagus occurs, causing discomfort and further complications.

The severity of Gord can vary from person to person—it’s a mild problem for some people, but on the other hand, it can be a lifelong, serious condition. If you experience symptoms like heartburn or indigestion twice a week or more, then you may have GORD.

What are the symptoms of GORD?

Gord can manifest as discomfort or burning sensations in the chest due to stomach acid irritating the lining of the esophagus. This can lead to heartburn, bitter taste, hoarseness, and sore throat.

Its long-term symptoms can include chronic acid reflux, headaches, persistent cough, difficulty in swallowing, and chest pain.

What causes GORD?

GORD occurs when the ring of muscle called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LOS) at the bottom of the esophagus becomes weakened or stressed. In GORD, the LOS doesn’t close properly, allowing stomach acid and bile to flow back into the esophagus.

Many factors can cause Gord, but the most common ones include lifestyle and dietary choices, stress, obesity, and some medications.

How is GORD diagnosed?

If a person regularly experiences symptoms of Gord, it’s important to seek a physician for diagnosis. During your visit, a doctor will perform a physical examination and take a detailed history of your symptoms.

Based on the assessment, they will diagnose and treat the patient appropriately.

Sometimes, a doctor may refer you for further additional tests, like an endoscopy. It involves passing a thin, flexible camera through the mouth into your stomach, allowing the doctor to examine the internal state of your esophagus and stomach. If chronic GORD is left untreated, it can lead to severe complications; continued exposure to stomach acid can damage the esophagus and cause ulcers or lead to Barret’s Esophagus, which increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

How is GORD treated?

In most cases, GORD can be successfully treated with effective treatment, including a combination of medications, lifestyle changes, and dietary management, along with ongoing monitoring. If you suspect any symptoms of Gord, it is necessary to consult with your healthcare provider to develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Medications

Over-the-counter medications, including proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2-Receptors, and antacids, can be effectively used to overcome stomach acid production and reflux and provide quick relief.

Lifestyle changes

Here are some lifestyle modifications that help to minimize or treat Gord’s symptoms.

Weight management: Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pressure on the abdomen and result in reflux control.

Wear loose clothing: Avoid tight-fitted clothing that can exert pressure on the abdomen, increasing acid reflux. Try to wear comfortable clothes before and after meals or whenever you’re experiencing reflux symptoms.

Elevate the head of the bed: Raising the head to at least 6-8 inches to minimize the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus while sleeping.

Manage stress: By adopting various stress-reducing techniques like yoga, exercise, and meditation daily.

Dietary Management

Dietary modification is the first line of therapy used for people with GORD, which plays a major role in controlling acid reflux symptoms. Let’s explore which GORD-friendly foods to include in your diet and which foods to eliminate.

The majority of GORD sufferers find out that their eating patterns, including what they eat and drink, as well as when and how they eat, affect the aggravating of the GORD symptoms. Identifying and avoiding the specific trigger foods can help manage the symptoms even without unnecessarily restricting your diet.

GORD foods to avoid—Avoid foods that can irritate your stomach, including alcohol, caffeine, fizzy drinks, coffee, carbonated beverages, citrus fruit juices, chocolate, peppermint, and processed and fatty food such as hamburgers, fried chicken, and pizza.

GORD-friendly foods: Alkaline foods (ginger, cauliflower, nuts), leafy green vegetables, non-citrus fruits, high-fiber foods, root vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help treat acid reflux symptoms.

You can also make these changes to your eating habits:

• Eating smaller, more frequent meals to reduce pressure on the Lower esophageal sphincter LOS.
• Keep a food diary to track your dietary pattern and help identify food that triggers your symptoms.
• Stay upright after a meal
• Cut back on alcohol. It irritates the stomach.

Diet plays a crucial role in overall physical health in so many ways. Incorporating a GORD-friendly diet can help minimize your symptoms and also provide good relief whenever your symptoms have been triggered or elevated. Some essential nutrients beneficial for GORD include glutamine, arginine, vitamins A, C, E, zinc, and antioxidants. While cooking at higher temperatures, using stable oils like extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil ensures that food does not oxidize and is safe for consumption. Moreover, being aware of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables is crucial.

The book GORD is a guide of one-week recipes with a grocery list to improve GORD symptoms. By including these sugar-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free recipes in your meal plates, you can not only alleviate reflux issues but also enjoy nutritious, flavorful, delicious recipes. Let’s embark on your journey towards better digestive health and managing GORD with these healing recipes!

References

Meining, A., & Classen, M. (2000). The role of diet and lifestyle measures in the pathogenesis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The American journal of gastroenterology, 95(10), 2692-2697.

Maret-Ouda, J., Markar, S. R., & Lagergren, J. (2020). Gastroesophageal reflux disease: a review. Jama, 324(24), 2536-2547.

Fass, R., Boeckxstaens, G. E., El-Serag, H., Rosen, R., Sifrim, D., & Vaezi, M. F. (2021). Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Nature reviews Disease primers, 7(1), 55.

Taraszewska, A. (2021). Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms related to lifestyle and diet. Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny, 72(1), 21-28.

Zhang, M., Hou, Z. K., Huang, Z. B., Chen, X. L., & Liu, F. B. (2021). Dietary and lifestyle factors related to gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, 305-323.

Boulton, K. H., & Dettmar, P. W. (2022). A narrative review of the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Annals of Esophagus, 5.