The Top 3 Complications of Acid Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is not generally a socially acceptable subject. It's rarely discusses except with doctors and close family members. It's difficult for people to understand the pain a person is going through when they talk about heartburn and all its possible side effects which include vomiting. This doesn't really make for polite coffee table conversation. However, any person suffering from GERD (to any extent) needs to understand the potential complications and problems that this condition can lead to.
Here are the top three for you to watch out for:
Ulcers - A break in the lining of the esophagus that results in inflammation or irritation is generally referred to as an ulcer. This ulcer will damage the cells lining the esophagus and could cause bleeding so severe that a transfusion or surgical procedure is required to fix the problem. Not everybody that has GERD will develop an ulcer but it is something to watch out for if you suffer from severe heartburn on an ongoing basis.
Strictures - The problem of ulcers isn't over when the ulcers heal and begin to scar over. These scars, or fibrosis, will shrink and cause a scarred narrowing or a stricture. When these strictures continue to narrow the esophagus it makes the food more and more difficult to pass through in the digestive process and makes acid reflux more of a distinct possibility. To fix this problem an endoscopic procedure will be necessary to stretch out the passage enough to allow food through.
Barrett's Esophagus - One form of GERD that can be extremely dangerous and potentially fatal due to is possibility of causing cancer is Barrett's esophagus. With Barrett's esophagus the cells that line the throat can become damaged and even promote cancerous cell growth. An endoscopy or microscopic examination of the living cells can determine if the cells in the esophagus are cancerous. This allows the person with the condition the time to fight off the disease in its early stages. This condition only occurs in about 10% of patients with GERD which means there's a low probabilty of you developing this condition but know it exists won't do you any harm.
So as you can see heartburn can be more far serious than just an annoying pain after a meal. Having the occassional case of heartburn is fine but if it's a daily problem then it's time to make an appointment for a checkup with your doctor. You only have one body - take care of it!
Related Tags: illness, heartburn, medicine, medical, gerd, disease, reflux, stomach, acid
Did you know that left untreat that acid reflux can kill you? No kidding. Check out Refluxamine today for safe and effective relief from your acid reflux. Article source: www.RefluxNow.com
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