Gerd complications that most often arise, plus how to prevent them

GERD or stomach acid that rises into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest. The appearance of symptoms can interfere with a person's activities so it needs to be treated. If ignored, complications can develop. What are the complications of GERD? Come on, find out the answer below.

Possible complications of GERD

GERD is usually caused by a weakened stomach ring muscle, which makes it prone to acid reflux down the esophagus.

Symptoms of GERD due to increased stomach acid can cause a burning sensation in the gut (heartburn) and a bitter-sour taste in the mouth. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and flatulence or gas.

Although the symptoms are quite disturbing, there are still some who underestimate this disease. Even though it is not life threatening, "this disease can interfere with a person's quality of life," explained Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, Sp.PD-KGEH, MMB, FINASIM, FACP, when met by the Hello Sehat team at the inauguration of the Indonesian Gastrointestinal Foundation (YGI), Friday (31/8) 2019 ago.

If the recurrence continues, the stomach acid that rises over time can erode the lining of the esophagus, causing the wound to become inflamed. This inflammation can increase your risk of various complications of GERD, including:

1. Chest pain (a common complication of GERD)

"Chest pain is the most common complication of GERD and is feared by people because it is often seen as a symptom of heart disease or heart attack," said dr. Ari. This complication may occur because stomach acid rises into the esophagus, putting pressure on the chest.

You can distinguish chest pain from GERD from stomach acid by its position. GERD pain will usually feel right in the chest and appear after eating. Meanwhile, pain from a heart attack will be felt in the left chest area.

2. Inflammation of the vocal cords

The next complication of GERD that can strike is inflammation of the vocal cords, also known as reflux laryngitis. Stomach acid contains acids and enzymes that are safe in the stomach, but can damage the lining of the esophagus and throat.

According to a website maintained by the University of Pittsburgh, people who experience this complication usually feel a lump in the throat, hoarseness, pain and heat in the throat, and a cough.

3.Inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis)

Apart from chest pain, a common complication of GERD is esophagitis or inflammation of the esophagus. This inflammation causes severe pain when you swallow, which decreases your appetite.

4. Asthma cough

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, it is not clear how the relationship between asthma and GERD. However, most people have this disease at the same time and GERD can worsen acid, and vice versa.

It is suspected that this is due to stomach acid repeatedly irritating the throat and airways. This can make breathing uncomfortable and trigger a cough. In addition, exposure to stomach acid is also thought to make the lungs more sensitive to irritants, such as dust and pollen, which are also asthma triggers.

5. Erosion of teeth

Gastric acid that rises into the esophagus, can also go up into the mouth area. That is why, people who have GERD will experience a bitter and sour taste in their mouth.

If this condition continues, the environment in the mouth will become more acidic. As a result, complications of GERD such as tooth erosion can occur. This is because stomach acid erodes enamel, the outer layer of teeth.

6. Esophageal stricture

Esophageal stricture is a complication of GERD which indicates a narrowing of the esophagus. The narrowing of the esophagus is caused by scar tissue due to the build-up of stomach acid.

Esophageal stricture will make it difficult for you to swallow food or drink, which can lead to weight loss and dehydration.

7.Barrett's esophagus (precancerous lesions)

Quoting RSCM data, dr. Ari showed that 22.8% of patients treated for GERD had inflammation of the esophagus after endoscopic examination while another 13.3% had lesions of the esophagus that could be an indication of Barrett's disease.

This complication of GERD can develop when stomach acid continues to hit the tissue that erodes the lining at the bottom of the esophagus. People with Barrett's disease will often experience heartburn, chest pain, and difficulty swallowing.

8. Esophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma)

GERD disease that is not treated properly can increase the risk of developing cancer in the esophagus. This occurs because the stomach acids that repeatedly hit the lining of the esophagus cause damage and cause changes in the normal cells around it.

If a person has both GERD and Barrett's disease at the same time, the risk of esophageal cancer is greater than people who only have GERD. Cancer of the esophagus generally does not cause symptoms, unless it has reached a more advanced stage.

Tips for preventing complications of GERD

Do you know what are the complications of GERD? If you don't want these complications to attack you and reduce your quality of life, of course, precautions need to be taken. The trick is to no longer underestimate the GERD symptoms that you are experiencing.

Then, you also need to follow the following steps so that GERD does not get worse, such as:

Take medication as directed by your doctor

GERD complications can be prevented if you follow treatment properly. Starting from the choice of drug, dosage, to when is the best time to take medicine. However, you do not need to take medication continuously, just when the symptoms start to feel.

Some of the drugs that are usually prescribed are antacids, h-2 receptor blockers, or PPI (proton pump inhibitor) drugs. You can get this GERD medicine at the shop or pharmacy.

Take care of your diet

Symptoms of GERD can recur and get worse if the diet you apply is not right. This includes diet and eating habits. Avoid foods that can trigger stomach acid to rise, such as spicy, fatty, and acidic foods.

Instead, you can replace increasing consumption of vegetables and fruit and limit the use of oil in serving food.

To be more perfect, balance it by avoiding eating habits that can trigger GERD symptoms, such as sleeping after eating, drinking too much after eating, or eating large portions at once.

Give up smoking

Already maintaining a diet and following doctor's medication, GERD symptoms can still recur if you still smoke. Cigarettes contain various substances that can aggravate irritation in the stomach, esophagus, and throat. So, you are very obliged to stop this habit.

For this to work, try to reduce your cigarette intake slowly. For example, reduce one cigarette every two or three days, until you can completely get rid of cigarette addiction.