Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux occurs when contents from your stomach move back into your esophagus. It is a digestive disorder for which there are treatments available. 

If you have acid reflux more than twice a week, it is a clear sign of GERD. It occurs in people of all ages. If left untreated, it can cause serious problems.

In some cases, you may need surgery. GERD is a common disorder. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburns. It is also known to affect your voice box, lungs, and windpipe. 

There is a circular band of muscle, the sphincter, in your lower esophagus area. When you swallow food, this band opens to let food pass into the stomach. It also prevents any acidic juices and the food from moving back into the esophagus. 

In the case of GERD, this band doesn’t close properly. It leads to a backflow of the food and juices into the esophagus, causing acid reflux. This constant backflow of acid irritates your esophagus lining, and it gets inflamed. 

Some factors can increase your risk. These include

Pregnancy 

Obesity 

Inconsistent bowel habits

Connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma 

Hiatal hernia - This is a condition that makes the top of your stomach bulge into the diaphragm

 

Then, there are some other factors can aggravate GERD such as 

Smoking 

Eating fatty and fried foods. 

Eating large meals

Taking medications such as aspirin 

Lying down soon after a meal

Excessive use of alcohol, tea, coffee

The main symptom is heartburn. It is a burning sensation that you will feel below the breastbone. It usually gets worse in the night and when you lie down or bend over. 

 

Other signs of GERD are:

Chest pain 

Difficulty in swallowing food

A sensation of a lump in your throat 

Chronic cough 

Bitter taste in your mouth

Laryngitis 

Disrupted sleep 

Asthma and breathing problems 

Sudden excess of saliva 

Chronic sore throat 

Inflammation of the gums 

In most people, GERD does not cause any other issues. But, in some severe cases, it can lead to some serious problems. These are

Asthma, chronic cough, or any other breathing problems - This occurs when you breathe in too much acid into your stomach. 

Inflammation, narrowing, tightening of your esophagus.

Dental problems like gum disease, enamel erosion

Esophageal cancer 

Ulcers

There are a few tests that will determine if you have GERD or not. These include:

Esophageal manometry - It measures the strength of your esophageal muscles. 

X-ray of the upper digestive system 

Upper endoscopy - The endoscope, which your doctor will insert through your throat, will have a camera that will allow the doctor to detect any inflammation in your esophagus. 

Ambulatory acid (pH) probe test will track if and when the stomach acid enters your esophagus. 

Amlapitta, which is a disease mentioned in old Ayurveda texts, is similar to GERD. Ayurveda is one of the oldest medical systems in the world. The state of Kerala in India has many hospitals which still practice Ayurveda in the old and pure form. 

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are three main doshas or energy forces present in all of us. 

Vata controls all the circulation and air movement in your body. Pitta manages the digestion and metabolism while Kapha provides lubrication and structure to our body. 

We need all these three doshas to be in balance. If they are not, then we will have diseases.

GERD is a digestive disorder. It is mainly due to the intake of the wrong combination of foods, sour foods, and old food items. All of these cause issues with your digestion, and so worsen Pitta dosha. It causes Amlata (word for acidity in Sanskrit) of the Pitta. With time, Vata and Kapha also start to go bad, causing the condition to worsen.

Ayurveda treatments can cure GERD. The treatment aims at

Correcting the pitta imbalance

Remove the toxins from your body using suitable panchakarma therapies.

Improve your digestion 

Rasayana procedures to eliminate the root cause 

 

The typical Ayurvedic treatment methods used for GERD can be:

Vamana - induced vomiting using oral medicines through which body waste gets removed

Virechana - induced purging through oral medicines to remove the body waste

Vasti - medicated enema to remove the toxins from your body.

 

After these, you will have oral medicines to correct the Pitta imbalance. It will be as per your dosha type, body condition, and the severity of GERD. 

Your doctor will decide the treatment plan as per all these.

You will need to be in the hospital for 21-28 days for the treatment

Other treatment options include medications and, in some cases, even surgery. The medicines include antacids and others to reduce acid production in your stomach. 

Fundoplication- It is a surgical procedure to treat GERD. During this, the surgeon will attach part of your stomach to the sphincter in your lower esophagus area.

Transoral incisionless fundoplication or TIF is a new non-invasive procedure to treat GERD.

There are a few things you can do to prevent GERD. These include:

Reduce weight if you are overweight

Stop smoking 

Eat small and frequent meals 

Do not lie down or sleep soon after a meal

Try to wear clothes that are loose and comfortable around the belly area. Tight clothes tend to squeeze your stomach and push the acid back. 

Raise the head of your bed

Eat slowly and chew food properly

Avoid foods that trigger acid reflux like onion, chocolates, garlic, alcohol, etc.

Practice Yoga and meditation