Dr. Ihde: GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, is when acid moves out of the stomach and into the esophagus. Its commonly called reflux disease or heartburn. Consisting of that burning sensation that you get in the chest. Also when people lay down they get fluid that comes up and they can taste the acid in their mouth that can cause erosion to the esophagus.

Sharon: Before visiting with Dr. Ihde, I had severe acid reflux. It was so severe that I would lose my voice, and it was affecting my job. I had to watch the foods that I ate; I was on a real strict diet. I tried everything over the counter, and nothing would work.

Dr. Ihde: A lot of the time the patients complain that they can’t sleep at night, because the acid comes up and wakes them up in the middle of the night. In addition they end up with a chronic cough and clearing of their throat, and sometimes even having trouble with their jaw. If they have to talk for a living.

Sharon: The acid was coming up even during the day, no matter what I ate. Even with the strict diet it was still happening. It would make me hoarse, my vocal chords were really burned.

Dr. Ihde: With Sharon we were really able to do a trans oral fundoplication, to recreate the valve at the end of the esophagus. And this seems to have controlled her symptoms very well. Off of medication, not having to take those medications every day and avoiding the risk of those medications.

Sharon: Just from everything that he told me, or the questions we talked about I knew there was an answer to the problem that I had. I kind of felt like there was no hope, and my life would always be watching everything I ate. Always being hoarse, things like that. He gave me hope that things would eventually get better. The surgery that I had, that Dr. Ihde performed it has changed my life dramatically. I can eat whatever foods that I want, I can sleep at night. I would definitely recommend Dr. Ihde for anyone having any acid reflux, severe problems. It has really changed my life, and I’m happier. My family is happier and we’re able to enjoy things way more than we were before.

Dr. Ihde: Kim came in with some of the typical symptoms of reflux. A lot of burning sensation, particularly when she lays down to go to sleep. She has acid come up into her throat, and so we did an endoscopy to look at her anatomy. She did have hiatal hernia.

Kim: Before I found Dr. Ihde, I had been on GERD medication for over ten years. I had been diagnosed with hiatal hernia, which conventional wisdom had told pervious doctors that we just leave it alone. It wasn’t bothering me that much and I’d learn to live with the GERD medication.

Dr. Ihde: Most of the patients that self-refer themselves are so far along the disease process that they have no just the reflux but other damage as well.

Kim: So he checked everything. Not just what would have been GERD related. He wanted the whole picture of Kim, rather than just this, oh one little thing and this one little medication and she’s tired of taking it. It wasn’t that approach at all.

Dr. Ihde: We went through a little bit of the history of surgical treatment of reflux disease to give her an idea of how many things have been tried and what the outcomes are. And then talked a little about the newer procedure, how we could use this in concert with her hiatal hernia repair. And fold the stomach back onto the esophagus to recreate the valve at the end of this esophagus. And that would control both the regurgitation and the heartburn as well as some of the other symptoms she was having.

Kim: He suggested we do some preliminary tests of course, but he thought that I was a good candidate to have a TIF procedure.

Dr. Ihde: There are multiple procedures for reflux disease, and they are all called fundoplications. Which is kind of a big term that means, we are going to fold the stomach onto the esophagus.

Kim: Dr. Ihde is just such a caring physician, and is so involved in what is current and what is the latest information about GERD. I think Dr. Ihde is the number one guy.

Dr. Ihde: So reflux disease can be treated initially with taking medications, antacids; over the counter medications are very common. When your reflux becomes more severe, then people tend to go onto medications on a daily basis which is really not what those medications are designed for.

Jacob: I was always having to worry about taking medicine, having the medicine with me and really having to watch what I ate. I had the heartburn and everything for about five or six years before I finally went to the doctor and did something about it.

Dr. Ihde: Medications are really a chemical treatment for a mechanical problem. We’re chemically changing the composition of the fluid, but we’re not changing the mechanics that keep the fluid in the compartment where it’s supposed to be. And that’s what surgery does.

Jacob: When I went to see Dr. Ihde, he explained to me what was actually going on. And then we just set up a scope to go in and check and see if I did have hiatal hernia and what exactly was going on.

Dr. Ihde: The fundoplication procedure is done with a new device called, the EsophyX device. We pass that with the T.V camera into the mouth and down the esophagus into the stomach. And then it folds back on itself so we can attach to the junction of the esophagus of the stomach. It has a flap that will fold the fundus part of stomach onto the esophagus. Then put the sutures in.

Jacob: The surgery went in and corrected the hiatal hernia. Where the stomach had gone through my diaphragm, he fixed that and then the trans oral incision was fundoplication. Rebuilt the valve, so the stomach acid couldn’t come back up my esophagus.

Dr. Ihde: We usually have them on a two week diet of liquids, soups, and then we spend the next four weeks with soft foods. And then at six weeks they can go back to eating the, beef, chicken, raw fruits and vegetables. Those sorts of things that are a little harder to get down, and would put a little more strain on the repair.

Jacob: I’m not in pain every day. I don’t have to worry about when and where I take medicine. I can eat whatever I want. It’s been great; it’s changed my life for sure.

]]> http://www.dallasreflux.com/gerd-testimonials-dallas/gerd-testimonial-jacob/feed/ 0 http://www.dallasreflux.com/gerd-resources-dallas/almonds-and-indigestion/ http://www.dallasreflux.com/gerd-resources-dallas/almonds-and-indigestion/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:22:36 +0000 admin http://www.dallasreflux.com/?p=215 There are many people suffering from indigestion in Ft Worth, often as a result of acid reflux. Acid reflux occurs when there is a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter. This allows stomach acids to leave the stomach and enter the esophagus. Acid reflux can be very painful and may consist of a burning sensation in the throat, heartburn, chest pain and even regurgitation. These occurrences are most often linked to the consumption of spicy, fatty or oily foods, but almonds may also have an impact on acid reflux.

While almonds are often considered to be a healthy snack, this may not be the case for those who suffer from frequent heartburn and indigestion. Their fat content makes them undesirable for chronic sufferers of acid reflux. One serving of almonds contains more than 17.9 grams of fat. Considering that the recommended daily fat consumption for adults is 44 grams to 78 grams per day, 17.9 grams is a considerable amount of fat.

Acid reflux can be managed by eating properly and avoiding common trigger foods. Research has proven that almonds are a trigger and that removing them from your diet can help alleviate symptoms. The best way to determine if they should be avoided is by monitoring your consumption and noting your reaction to them. If you find that almonds trigger your symptoms, then it may be worth your while to avoid them in your diet, and speak with your physician about other dietary triggers that may be aggravating your acid reflux symptoms.

Your physician will provide you with in depth instructions concerning a diet for GERD after surgery, but here are a few things that you can keep in mind:

Immediately after Surgery: Following the procedure it will be necessary to only consume clear liquids. While water is of course suggested, you also need to consume liquids that are calorically dense in order for your body to recover and have enough energy. Some suggestions include things like apple juice, broth, frozen ice pops and plain tea or coffee.

All Liquids: Once you leave the hospital following your operation you can generally consume almost anything in liquid form. This means all juices, pureed soups, yogurt or pudding. As long as it doesn’t bother your throat, almost all of these liquids can be consumed in large quantities if necessary.

Soft Foods: After several weeks, you can begin eating softer foods. Start off with things like oatmeal and mashed potatoes, but progress to items like pasta, soft and well cooked vegetables or bananas.

By following these guidelines you can recover as quickly as possible from your surgery to treat GERD. When you eat, try to remain upright to allow the food to digest properly for at least 20-30 minutes. In order to consume adequate calories, remember to eat smaller meals throughout the day.

In minor cases, prevention and home remedies can resolve indigestion in children. You may notice that your child has acid reflux after eating certain foods, such as fatty and fried foods, onions, and acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomatoes. Try to avoid or limit these foods in your child’s diet. Taking small bites and chewing food thoroughly can also help by making food easier to digest. If your child eats before naps or bedtime, have him or her sleep propped up on an extra pillow to keep the head elevated and prevent acid from bubbling up into the esophagus. It may also help to adjust meal times so that your child is awake for two hours after eating, allowing for the food to partially digest before lying down.

If home remedies don’t take care of your child’s indigestion, it could be time to seek medical help. Your pediatrician or general practitioner may be able to prescribe treatment, or may refer you to a specialist with experience in treating indigestion in Dallas. If your child is diagnosed with acid reflux, the physician may prescribe medications or special diets to help treat the indigestion.

Recent research from the Yale University School of Medicine indicates that taking a common and essential mineral can relieve indigestion and acid reflux. This type of indigestion is incredibly common in the United States, affecting more than 50 million Americans.

This promising mineral is zinc. In a study of 12 participants, Yale’s researchers found that 200 mg of zinc chloride administered orally after a 10-hour fast quickly reduced stomach acid secretion. The lowered secretions continued for three or more hours.

Acidity in participants receiving plain water or an acid reflux PPI medication remained high. The researchers indicate that delayed relief is a long-standing shortcoming of PPIs. Their findings, published in the January 2011 American Journal of Gastroenterology, also mention that regular use of zinc also thickens the stomach surface’s acid-buffering protective gel layer.

The stomach’s acid-secreting parietal cells contain tiny pumps that release acidic hydrogen ions. PPI acid reflux medications block the pumps’ ion release. Their regular use, however, may cause zinc deficiency. As an essential mineral, zinc helps cells grow properly. Zinc deficiency may cause nerve damage, problems with developing infants and digestive system irregularity.

The Yale researchers speculate that zinc may relieve indigestion quickly by preventing the negative electrical charge that signals the stomach cavity to begin producing acid. They suggest that at daily levels higher than the National Institutes of Health’s recommended 8 to 11 mg, zinc may be a supplemental or alternative acid reflux treatment.

If indigestion has put your favorite Dallas cooking off limits, talk to your doctor about adding zinc to your acid reflux treatment regimen.

Because the hernia and the esophagus are interfering with each other in the same space, a person can suffer symptoms of both GERD and hiatal hernia at the same time, though most people who have a hiatal hernia are symptom free. Sometimes the symptoms of GERD and hiatal hernia are very similar, and often include a feeling of heartburn that develops about an hour after eating, belching and difficulty swallowing.

The hernia can cause acid to flow up into the esophagus from the stomach and irritate the esophagus. Mild symptoms of a hiatal hernia can be treated with a change in dietary and lifestyle habits. Large meals should be avoided and the patient should lose weight if they’re overweight, and shouldn’t eat anything for at least a couple of hours before they go to bed. They should also avoid foods that they know cause their symptoms. The condition is also helped if the head of the bed is raised about four to six inches, which helps to keep stomach acid from rising and causing irritation.

Many pregnant women experience GERD during their pregnancy. This is due to hormonal changes that occur in the body during this period. Due to these changes, the body may feel increased abdominal pressure. This pressure may cause the stomach valve to close more loosely, which causes acid reflux to occur.

Another major contributor to regular GERD is a weak lower esophageal sphincter. This important valve helps keep stomach acid from flying up and into the esophagus. A weak valve won’t close properly, and about 25% of people with severe GERD suffer from this specific problem.

Patients that suffer from a hiatal hernia often suffer from GERD. This is due to the weakened walls of the stomach that occur with a hiatal hernia. Patients that suffer from GERD due to a hernia suffer in a variety of intensities, from only mild to very severe.

People with a slower or less efficient digestion are also likely to suffer from GERD. This is caused when food begins to back up in the stomach and small intestine, pushing some contents up into the esophagus. This food will be coated with burning stomach acid.

Eating too much food will cause an over full stomach. An overfull stomach is more likely to take longer to digest, causing backed up food and a relaxed lower esophageal sphincter, letting more stomach acid and acid drenched food reach your esophagus.

Here are the top six drinks that you should avoid to help prevent heartburn:

Chocolate Drinks: Chocolate should be avoided when you suffer from heartburn, and that includes chocolate based drinks, like hot chocolate and chocolate milk.

Fruit Juice: Several fruit juices, including orange, lemon and grapefruit juice, should be avoided. These super-acidic juices will contribute to your heartburn problems. Even cranberry juice should be avoided, since it can contribute to heartburn too.

Liquor: When fighting heartburn, avoid drinking any type of liquor, including beer and wine. Even though red wine is often suggested for heart health in small doses, wine will actually make your heartburn worse. Since there are several ways to protect your heart and lead a healthy life, skip the daily glass of wine and save yourself the indigestion.

Coffee & Tea: Coffee should be avoided when trying to ward off heartburn. Coffee is highly acidic and will wreak havoc on your heartburn. Unfortunately, tea isn’t a good replacement, since tea should be avoided when you’re dealing with heartburn as well.

Dairy: Any kind of dairy products should be avoided when you get heartburn regularly. Dairy includes milk and milkshakes.