Table of contents:
- What is Barrett's esophagus?
- Why does stomach acid continue to rise causing Barrett's esophagus?
- Can Barrett's disease be cured?
- Lifestyle adjustments that need to be made if you have GERD
GERD is a digestive disease characterized by increased stomach acid (reflux) and the appearance of various other accompanying symptoms that recur at least more than twice per week. GERD itself is not actually lethal, but if not handled properly the complications can be dangerous. One of the dangerous diseases that can occur due to increased stomach acid is Barrett's esophagus.
What is Barrett's esophagus?
Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous lesion of the esophagus that is one of the most serious complications of GERD. However, not everyone who has GERD will definitely develop Barrett's, said 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), last Friday (31/8). Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam is an expert consultant in the field of gastroenterology-hepatology, who is also dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia.
This is because Barrett's esophagus is a fairly rare disease. It's estimated that only about 10% of people who have chronic (prolonged) GERD eventually develop Barrett's disease.
Why does stomach acid continue to rise causing Barrett's esophagus?
Barrett's disease usually occurs when GERD is severe enough. If the recurrence continues, the stomach acid that rises over time can erode the lining of the esophagus, causing the wound to become inflamed.
The inflammation then causes the esophageal tissue to gradually break down and be replaced with tissue that is more like the tissue in the intestine. This abnormal change is called metaplasia. Damage to the esophageal tissue that can cause precancerous sores is called Barrett's esophagus.
Can Barrett's disease be cured?
According to dr. Ari, Barrett esophagus can be treated through various available medical procedures.
However, it needs to be understood, Barrett's disease symptoms are similar to chronic GERD, making it more difficult to detect. So to diagnose Barrett's also requires clinical observation which is quite complicated and time-consuming.
In general, when chronic GERD has been treated for 2-5 months but does not heal, aka the symptoms persist, doctors can raise suspicions about Barrett's risk. Then the doctor will perform an endoscopy and check the pH of your stomach to confirm Barrett's diagnosis. If there is evidence of precancerous lesions in the esophagus, endoscopy should be performed regularly.
Lifestyle adjustments that need to be made if you have GERD
In addition, you also need to prevent stomach acid from rising continuously during Barrett's esophagus treatment. This also applies to preventing or lowering your risk of Barrett's disease.
Start applying various healthy lifestyles below for a healthier digestion and health:
- Reducing fatty foods, spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, and peppermint which can aggravate stomach acid reflux
- Avoid alcohol, sour drinks, and sodas.
- Quit smoking.
- Sleep with your head elevated to prevent stomach acid from rising.
- Don't lie down immediately after eating. Give it at least 2 hours after eating just laying down.
- Take medication regularly and balance it with drinking lots of water.
Although not everyone with GERD will develop esophageal discharge, you should still be careful.
People who have both GERD and Barrett's disease at the same time are more likely to develop esophageal cancer (adecarcinoma of the esophagus) than people who only have GERD. But again, the risk of esophageal cancer as a complication of GERD is also rare. Less than 1% of cases of Barrett can develop esophageal cancer. However, you must always carry out routine controls so that the doctor will find the possibility of precancerous lesions and cancer cells early before they spread.
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