Top 5 ways to diagnose acid reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, also referred to as GERD or
acid reflux disease, is an illness where the liquefied contents
of the sufferers stomach backs up into their esophagus. The
stomach contents that is regurgitated contains acids and pepsin
that may cause quite severe damage to the esophagus although
this only happens in very few cases. Acid reflux disease is a
chronic disease and once you contract it you are likely to
become a lifelong sufferer. If the esophagus does become damaged
this is also a chronic disease. Treatment can be given to
improve the state of the esophagus wall but if the treatment is
stopped the problems can return within a matter of weeks.
1- Heartburn is by far the most common symptom of acid reflux
disease and if a doctor suspects your heartburn is cause by acid
reflux disease he or she will prescribe you with a medicine that
stops the production of acid in your stomach. If it stops then
it is assumed that you do indeed have acid reflux disease. This
approach of diagnosis can be unreliable.
2- An endoscopy is another way of diagnosing acid reflux
disease. A tube is swallowed so that doctors can see exactly
what is going on inside your body. However, a esophagus of a
patient suffering from the disease ordinarily looks quite normal
so this method of diagnosis will only directly work for those
patients whose esophagus has been damaged by their acid reflux
disease. However, if an ulcer or other ailment that can cause
similar problems is spotted then it may be possible to discount
acid reflux disease.
3- Biopsies can be used to search for the existence of cancer.
They can not be used to look for evidence of acid reflux disease
but alternative causes of symptoms may be found.
4- Examining the throat and larynx is an approach that is
sometimes consider for the diagnosis of acid reflux disease.
Inflammation of either may indicate that a patient has acid
reflux disease but there a number of other problems that may
cause these symptoms too.
5- Esophageal acid testing is probably the most accurate way to
test for acid reflux disease but is the most obtrusive as well.
A tube is placed through the nose and into the esophagus where
it remains for 24 hours. This tube has a sensor on the end and
measures the amount of reflux generated over 24 hours.