Stress and overeating can trigger gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an internist has said.
“Many people suffer from GERD. The causes are stress, eating too much, lying down immediately after eating, and eating too close to bedtime,” Dr. Saptino Miro said at a health webinar here on Thursday
Consuming certain foods such as oranges, tomatoes, chocolates, mint, spicy foods, tea, coffee, soda, alcohol, and smoking, as well as side effects from drugs can also trigger GERD, he said.
“Eating should be three hours before bedtime. Eating frequently is okay, as long as (the portion) is small, because eating too much can produce excessive stomach acid,” Miro explained.
According to him, GERD is a condition when stomach acid is pushed into the esophagus repeatedly over a long period of time. “The burning sensation in the chest and the bitter taste in the mouth are typical symptoms of GERD,” he said.
Persistent acid reflux more than twice a week indicates GERD, he added.
“Even a study shows that 57.6 percent of the 2,045 respondents in Indonesia meet the GERD criteria,” he highlighted.
Miro, who teaches at the Faculty of Medicine at Andalas University, also pointed out that two out of five people in America have experienced GERD in their lifetime, and one in three have experienced GERD in the past week.
“The female group experiences GERD the most,” he informed.
GERD can be tackled by undergoing non-pharmaceutical therapy or therapy without drugs, modifying or reducing body weight, and raising the head while sleeping by approximately 15–20 centimeters, he said.
“Then, stop smoking and drinking alcohol and reduce foods and drugs that stimulate stomach acid,” he added.
Source: Antara News