Do you suffer from nocturnal GERD? Nocturnal GERD is a term used to describe reflux of acid into the esophagus that occurs at night when you lie down in bed. Since you may spend eight hours during the night in a recumbent position which can potentially expose the esophagus to significant amounts of refluxed acid, the health consequences of nocturnal GERD are of concern. Long term exposure to this acid can cause changes in the lining of the esophagus that may increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer. Plus, nocturnal GERD can be right down uncomfortable if left untreated.
What are the symptoms of nocturnal GERD? Sometimes the symptoms are obvious and may include awakening in the night with heartburn symptoms or by a sensation of acid or food material in the back of your throat. Other times symptoms can be as subtle as hoarseness, wheezing, or a recurring cough. The diagnosis can usually be made based on clinical symptoms by your doctor. If symptoms fail to resolve after a trial of treatment, more extensive testing may be needed such as endoscopy.
If you have the symptoms of nocturnal GERD, what can you do to get relief? Although there are prescription medications available, simple lifestyle changes can also provide some relief for your symptoms. If you're taking medications, these should be reviewed with your doctor since certain meds can make GERD symptoms worse. Once your medications have been cleared with your doctor, it's time to consider your body weight.
If you're overweight, this can have a significant impact on your symptoms. Reassessing your diet and starting an exercise program to lose weight can help to improve nocturnal GERD. Diet plays a role in other ways. Certain foods can trigger symptoms including chocolate, onions, coffee, foods that are high in fats, spicy foods, and alcohol. Eliminating these foods can make an enormous difference in the severity of your symptoms. It's also important to quit smoking since this can worsen GERD symptoms.
Other lifestyle changes which may be helpful in the treatment of nocturnal GERD include elevating the head of your bead and reducing compression on the stomach by wearing loose fitting clothing when you go to bed at night. Another tactic that's been shown to be effective is to sleep on your left side which alters the distribution of gastric acid in the stomach and can help to prevent reflux at night.
If nocturnal GERD symptoms fail to resolve with lifestyle changes, your doctor may encourage you to use antacids to help neutralize the acidic pH of your stomach. Antacids generally offer only short term symptom relief. He may also prescribe one of several types of medications that can suppress acid formation in the stomach which known as histamine 2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors. A natural substance that's being investigated for control of GERD symptoms is d-limonene.
It's important that nocturnal GERD symptoms be treated to reduce the risk of future complications and damage to the lining of the esophagus. Be sure to consult with your family doctor if your symptoms fail to resolve with treatment.
