Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Clinical Nutrition
Lesson 10:Diseases of the Mouth and Oesophages

Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

  • Dietary Factors: Spicy and fatty foods, alcohol, hyper osmolar foods like coffee, and high tyrammine containing foods like wine may induce the reflux. Small, frequent meals cause less distention and reduce reflux. Fluids should be consumed in between meals and not along with them.
  • Recumbent body position: A recumbent body position allows the food to flow back into the esophagous. A gap of at least two hours should be maintained between meal time and bed time. Bending forward or lying down immediate after a meal should be avoided.
  • Abnormal LES: Weakening of the LES or its inappropriate relaxing allows food and acid from the stomach to flow back into the esophagus.
  • Hiatus Hernia: The opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus enters into the stomach may become big causing a part of the stomach to be pushed up into the thorax. Food from this part is regurgitated back to the lower portion of the esophagus.
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Last modified: Thursday, 3 November 2011, 11:10 AM