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How Is Your Gut Feeling?
The health of your digestive system has a lot to do with your lifestyle – the food you eat, the amount of exercise you get, and your stress level.
The digestive tract, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the system of organs that takes in food, digests it to get the needed nutrients, and expels the rest of the waste. The health of your digestive system has a lot to do with your lifestyle – the food you eat, the amount of exercise you get, and your stress level. Many people suffer from dyspepsia (heartburn or acid indigestion). The most common causes of dyspepsia are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcers.
GERD
GERD is caused by stomach acid moving from your stomach up into your esophagus. This may happen if the muscle between the stomach and esophagus is weak. Certain conditions such as diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, and some medications may make this worse.
Symptoms:
Feeling of burning chest pain behind the breast bone or bitter or sour taste of acid in throat or mouth can be symptoms of GERD. The symptoms can sometimes last as long as two hours and get worse with eating.
The diagnosis is commonly made by clinical history. An upper GI series (special x-ray used to show the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the intestine) or endoscopy can be done to identify irritation in the esophagus.
Recommendations to help control symptoms include:
- Avoid eating within 2-3 hours before bed.
- Stop smoking.
- Limit intake of caffeine (e.g., coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate), and alcohol.
- Reach and keep a healthy weight.
- Limit or eliminate specific foods that bother you (e.g., spicy and tomato-based foods) or include small quantities as part of a meal.
- Lift the head of your bed 15-20cm (6-8 inches) when sleeping.
Treatment:
GERD can usually be relieved through diet, lifestyle modifications, and proper use of over -the-counter medications.
PEPTIC ULCER
A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the stomach or duodenum (part of small intestine). Ulcers in the stomach are called gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers if in the duodenum. Peptic ulcers are typically caused by either bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) found in the stomach and duodenum or overuse of nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (nSAIDS) such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Motrin).
Symptoms:
The most common symptom is burning pain, occurring in the epigastric (upper abdominal) area. The pain:
- Occurs 2 to 3 hours after meals
- May awaken one from sleep
- Is relieved by food or antacids
- May be present for a few weeks, and then resolve itself for weeks to months, only to return.
Other symptoms include abdominal bloating, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.
Peptic ulcers can be detected by an upper GI series or endoscopy. Other tests include biopsy specimens obtained during the endoscopy, or antibody test. H.pylori infection can be determined by a simple breath test.
Recommendations to help control symptoms include:
- Speak with your pharmacist about on-going use of aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin).
- Avoid excess alcohol consumption.
- Quit smoking.
- Limit or eliminate caffeine and food that makes the symptoms worse.
- Develop stress coping strategies as stress can play a role in ulcer formation.
Treatment:
The goal of treatment is to heal the ulcer, relieve the symptoms, stop relapses, and avoid complications. Consult your doctor to see which treatment will work for you.
Both GERD and peptic ulcers, if left untreated, can cause serious complications. Consult your doctor if lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications don’t help or symptoms persist.
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