Acid reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acids abnormally reflux into the esophagus. This phenomenon is irregularly experienced by most people, most especially after eating.
Our body uses gastric and stomach acids to break down the food that we eat. Normally, after the digestion in the stomach, the food is delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for extra digestion. But in patients who have acid reflux disease, the acidic stomach contents are moved back to the esophagus, which then causes inflammation. Cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pregnancy, and fatty foods are some factors which worsens acid reflux conditions.
Our present knowledge about acid reflux based on medical researches tells us that this disease is common in men as it is in women. There is no sexual preference. Moreover, the prevalence of acid reflux is more frequent in people of 40 years of age or more.
Symptoms of acid reflux may be typical or atypical. But based on the diagnosis of acid reflux patients, only 70% of those who have this disease manifest typical symptoms.
Typical or esophageal symptoms concern indicators which are related with the esophagus. Such symptoms include the following:
Heartburn. This is a condition in which the patient feels a painful burning feeling in the esophagus. The pain often develops in the chest and may swell to the neck or throat. This is most probable to occur in relation with these activities: after a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, and lying down. Based on one study, about 75% of acid reflux patients experience this symptom at night. These nigh-time patients also tend to experience more harsh pain than those whose symptom occurs at other times.
Dyspepsia. Researches show that about half of acid reflux patients have dyspepsia. This is a syndrome which consists of pain and distress in the upper abdomen, nausea after a meal, and stomach fullness. It is not a rule however, that those who have dyspepsia have acid reflux.
Regurgitation. This is when the gastric contents back up into the pharynx and sometimes as far as the mouth. In cases where the acids have spilled into the tracheobronchial tree, respiratory complications can be stimulated.
There are many instances, though, that acid reflux patients do not manifest symptoms such as regurgitation and heartburn. Instead, they experience atypical or extraesophageal symptoms which include the following:
Throat Symptoms. Although it does not commonly happen, acid reflux patients suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness, the feeling of having a lump in the throat, dry cough are undergone by those who have acid laryngitis, a throat symptom. Patients can also have difficulty in swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. In critical cases, the food may get trapped in the throat or even choke, which can result to a severe chest pain. Other throat symptoms are chronic sore throat and persistent hiccups.
Vomiting and Nausea. When a patient suffers from nausea which persists for weeks, he may have acid reflux. There are few instances where vomiting can occur as often as once a day.
Respiratory Symptoms. Coughing and wheezing are counted as respiratory symptoms. These result from the overrunning of the stomach acids into the tracheobronchial tree creating bronchoconstriction.
Acid reflux disease can last for several months if not given proper medical attention. Drug treatment may only be required for a short time. But when the symptoms tend to repetitively occur, the drug treatment may have to be reapplied.
Showing posts with label Disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disease. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cases of Acid Reflux Disease in Children
An 11-year-old boy in Boston developed a Gastro esophageal reflux Disease (GERD). According to his mother, Cathy, it was the end of June in the year 2005 when his son developed a cough which usually happens during sleep, and even during daytime. It is only a short dry cough symptom. His pediatrician thought it was only allergy, however, when his son was tested, result showed that his son had no allergy. According to her, it was his son's asthma that relates to GERD.
Studies show that GERD is likewise normal to infants and children like in adults, though this fact is often times being overlooked. The symptoms come in continual sickness, coughing, and other respiratory trouble.
Children are vulnerable to GERD because of their immature digestive system. Truth is majority of the infants grow out of GERD once they reach the age of one year old.
The medical specialists further stated that symptoms for children may come in difficulty in swallowing foods, or failure to grow. The doctors recommended that in situation like this it is best to lessen the amount of acid in the children's stomach before it could lead to acid reflux, since this disease is not very curable in children.
However, the doctor suggested some approaches to avoid acid reflux on children; an example of these is burping the infant quite a few times during feeding, or letting the infant stay in an erect position for 30 minutes after nourishing.
Although, for a child ages three and up, doctors suggested to keep them off from sodas that includes caffeine like soft drinks, carbonated drinks, spicy foods like peppermint, acidic foods like citrus fruits, too much chocolate, and fried and fatty foods. Ideally, establishing a healthy eating habit diet can really decrease the acid reflux in children.
It is also suggested that children will eat smaller meals before sleeping, if possible, do not allow them to eat two to three hours before sleeping, also, elevate the head of their bed for at least 30 degrees.
Further treatments include the use of H2 blockers; this is available in any drugs store. Prevacid, proton plump inhibitors, can also be used in treating acid flux for children.
However, if these treatments fail to stop the symptoms, other treatment method needs to be done. It is very atypical, but doctors' recommends surgery, this is so far the best treatment for relentless symptoms which do not anymore counter to other treatments.
The Esophageal reflux surgery for children is designated for children who have had unsuccessful medical treatments, and continuous surgery is essential as the child grows.
Now, if you get confused whether when is the time to consult a pediatrician regarding acid reflux. The answer is you observe, observe the amounts of vomiting of the child, if it already comes out in green or yellow or appears to be like blood or coffee grounds, there difficulty in breathing after vomiting, and there is pain in swallowing, immediately consult a pediatrician before the symptom gets aggravated.
So to prevent the occurrence of this disease, stay away from the habit of leaning forward after eating, or worse, sleeping after taking a large amount of food.
Take note, advanced acid reflux disease has a great possibility to end serious medical complications, and it may lead to hospitalization.
Be keen of the possible symptoms so will not overlook it. Take care of your kids.
Studies show that GERD is likewise normal to infants and children like in adults, though this fact is often times being overlooked. The symptoms come in continual sickness, coughing, and other respiratory trouble.
Children are vulnerable to GERD because of their immature digestive system. Truth is majority of the infants grow out of GERD once they reach the age of one year old.
The medical specialists further stated that symptoms for children may come in difficulty in swallowing foods, or failure to grow. The doctors recommended that in situation like this it is best to lessen the amount of acid in the children's stomach before it could lead to acid reflux, since this disease is not very curable in children.
However, the doctor suggested some approaches to avoid acid reflux on children; an example of these is burping the infant quite a few times during feeding, or letting the infant stay in an erect position for 30 minutes after nourishing.
Although, for a child ages three and up, doctors suggested to keep them off from sodas that includes caffeine like soft drinks, carbonated drinks, spicy foods like peppermint, acidic foods like citrus fruits, too much chocolate, and fried and fatty foods. Ideally, establishing a healthy eating habit diet can really decrease the acid reflux in children.
It is also suggested that children will eat smaller meals before sleeping, if possible, do not allow them to eat two to three hours before sleeping, also, elevate the head of their bed for at least 30 degrees.
Further treatments include the use of H2 blockers; this is available in any drugs store. Prevacid, proton plump inhibitors, can also be used in treating acid flux for children.
However, if these treatments fail to stop the symptoms, other treatment method needs to be done. It is very atypical, but doctors' recommends surgery, this is so far the best treatment for relentless symptoms which do not anymore counter to other treatments.
The Esophageal reflux surgery for children is designated for children who have had unsuccessful medical treatments, and continuous surgery is essential as the child grows.
Now, if you get confused whether when is the time to consult a pediatrician regarding acid reflux. The answer is you observe, observe the amounts of vomiting of the child, if it already comes out in green or yellow or appears to be like blood or coffee grounds, there difficulty in breathing after vomiting, and there is pain in swallowing, immediately consult a pediatrician before the symptom gets aggravated.
So to prevent the occurrence of this disease, stay away from the habit of leaning forward after eating, or worse, sleeping after taking a large amount of food.
Take note, advanced acid reflux disease has a great possibility to end serious medical complications, and it may lead to hospitalization.
Be keen of the possible symptoms so will not overlook it. Take care of your kids.
Preventing Acid Reflux in Your Baby
Acid reflux, which is also termed as gastroesophageal reflux, is one of the most frequent problems among infants. Babies with acid reflux often suffer from a range of conditions, from a mild degree to a severe one, such as recurrent spitting up, abdominal pain, and night waking.
This discussion would be more comprehensive with the understanding of the physiological or the mechanical aspect of the condition. The body has a band of muscle in a circular structure that is called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscle detaches the esophagus from the stomach. When food comes into the stomach, it closes so as to prevent the stomach acids and contents from backing up into the esophagus or regurgitating. But in the case of some babies, the lower esophageal sphincter has grown immature. As such, the partially digested food and digestive acids are allowed to be refluxed. This condition causes irritation in the esophagus lining which results to inflammation that is also commonly called as heartburn.
Acid reflux among babies usually develops when they are between two to four weeks old. Doctors usually prescribe medicines that minimize the production of digestive acids. Within six to nine months, the acid reflux starts to naturally subside. At this time period, the babies spend most of their time in an upright position. This is to apply the law of gravity on the food taken in; that is, the food stays down more naturally and reduces possible regurgitation.
The following are helpful pointers on feeding and positioning of babies to lessen acid reflux:
Prepare smaller feedings recurrently. It makes sense to feed your baby more than usual but less than the accustomed. If lesser volume of milk goes into the stomach, the digestion will be faster and there will be fewer amounts of contents available for regurgitation.
Maintain the baby in an upright position after feeding. As discussed earlier, gravity helps to keep the digestive contents down. Position your baby seated in your lap while his head rests on your chest. Keep this position for at least half an hour after feeding.
Breastfeeding helps a lot. Breast milk is well-known to have many advantages over other commercial formula, mainly for babies with acid reflux. Breast milk can be digested faster, which of course lessens spitting up, and it has special enzymes that assists digestion. In addition to that, breast milk does not trigger allergy to babies compared to other milks available in the market. But for those who are formula-feeding, it is advisable to use milk with a hypoallergenic formula as advised by a doctor. Aside from having higher tolerance with sensitive intestines, hypoallergenic milk can also be digested faster by the stomach so as to minimize refluxes.
Set your baby in a comfortable position when asleep. Since when a baby lies flat when sleeping, gravity cannot help in keeping the food down in this set-up. As a result, a baby with acid reflux often has to endure a sore night waking. If a baby can sleep soundly, then there will be no need to call for a change in his habit. But some babies become restless, which can be noted by abdominal pain, acid breath, and wet burps. In this case, it is recommended to elevate the baby's crib to about 30 degrees. This will be enough to reduce the regurgitation. You may also try to train him to sleep on his left side. It is in this position where the inlet of the stomach is higher than the exit. This will also help to keep the food down.
This discussion would be more comprehensive with the understanding of the physiological or the mechanical aspect of the condition. The body has a band of muscle in a circular structure that is called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscle detaches the esophagus from the stomach. When food comes into the stomach, it closes so as to prevent the stomach acids and contents from backing up into the esophagus or regurgitating. But in the case of some babies, the lower esophageal sphincter has grown immature. As such, the partially digested food and digestive acids are allowed to be refluxed. This condition causes irritation in the esophagus lining which results to inflammation that is also commonly called as heartburn.
Acid reflux among babies usually develops when they are between two to four weeks old. Doctors usually prescribe medicines that minimize the production of digestive acids. Within six to nine months, the acid reflux starts to naturally subside. At this time period, the babies spend most of their time in an upright position. This is to apply the law of gravity on the food taken in; that is, the food stays down more naturally and reduces possible regurgitation.
The following are helpful pointers on feeding and positioning of babies to lessen acid reflux:
Prepare smaller feedings recurrently. It makes sense to feed your baby more than usual but less than the accustomed. If lesser volume of milk goes into the stomach, the digestion will be faster and there will be fewer amounts of contents available for regurgitation.
Maintain the baby in an upright position after feeding. As discussed earlier, gravity helps to keep the digestive contents down. Position your baby seated in your lap while his head rests on your chest. Keep this position for at least half an hour after feeding.
Breastfeeding helps a lot. Breast milk is well-known to have many advantages over other commercial formula, mainly for babies with acid reflux. Breast milk can be digested faster, which of course lessens spitting up, and it has special enzymes that assists digestion. In addition to that, breast milk does not trigger allergy to babies compared to other milks available in the market. But for those who are formula-feeding, it is advisable to use milk with a hypoallergenic formula as advised by a doctor. Aside from having higher tolerance with sensitive intestines, hypoallergenic milk can also be digested faster by the stomach so as to minimize refluxes.
Set your baby in a comfortable position when asleep. Since when a baby lies flat when sleeping, gravity cannot help in keeping the food down in this set-up. As a result, a baby with acid reflux often has to endure a sore night waking. If a baby can sleep soundly, then there will be no need to call for a change in his habit. But some babies become restless, which can be noted by abdominal pain, acid breath, and wet burps. In this case, it is recommended to elevate the baby's crib to about 30 degrees. This will be enough to reduce the regurgitation. You may also try to train him to sleep on his left side. It is in this position where the inlet of the stomach is higher than the exit. This will also help to keep the food down.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Paying For Gastric Bypass Surgery
For those that qualify for the procedure known as gastric bypass surgery, a top priority is how to pay for such an operation. In some instances, medical insurance won't pay for even half or the entire amount, in terms of cost, for this type of operation. The following information will provide a detailed analysis of insurance and gastric bypass surgery.
The Issue of Health Insurance and Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric Bypass surgery typically costs on average between $25 000 to $20 000, a figure according to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Paying for such an expensive procedure can be a concern, understandably. And whether or not this operation as well as the related costs are covered by health insurance depends largely on your insurance company, your specific policy and the state where you reside.
Discuss your specific policy with whomever you are insured with so as to see if you are properly covered or not. In some instances a given insurance policy will not cover Gastric Bypass Surgery and the ensuing required care. By this they mean they will not pay for costs related to the preparation, actual surgery and recovery period following surgery.
The Process of Pre-authorization
For those that are insured by an HMO, you will be required to get your general practitioner or family physician to refer you to a bariatric surgeon. They specialize in weight loss surgery. Upon seeing a bariatric surgeon, and qualifying as a good candidate for such a surgery, the next step is the pre-authorization process.
The actual steps it takes to get approval for such a procedure can be rather precarious compared to that of other more popular medical procedures. In most cases your insurance company will insist on having your family general practitioner and bariatric surgeon send what is called a "letter of medical necessity." This is the first initial step in the pre-authorization process. In this letter both your general practitioner and surgeon should stipulate how your overall health and physical constitution will be much better by having this procedure.
At this point, your request for authorization will either be approved, denied, or you will be required to send to your insurance company more information. Typically what then ensues is that your doctor and surgeon will either have to send in additional information, by calling, faxing or mailing this specific and required data.
You do have the opportunity to appeal an insurance company's decision if they choose to deny you coverage. Most if not all insurance policies are by law required to let you know of your right of appeal. Typically you have 30 to 60 days.
A Caveat
Those pre-approved and covered by insurance must be aware of any co-pays or co-insurance costs they will personally have to pay.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare will cover some of the costs of gastric bypass surgery, but only if you are overweight and suffer from type 2 diabetes and or heart disease.
Self-Pay Patients
If you have no coverage, you will be forced to pay for the surgery yourself. Some hospitals do offer payment plans, so you will not have to pay all at once. There is also the option of obtaining a personal loan from a reputable financial lender.
The Overall Cost
If you choose to pay for gastric bypass surgery with the help of a private lender take into consideration the numerous expenses involved, such as the surgeon bill, cost of anesthesia, and nutritional consultations. Your physician should be able to explain what is involved and the cost.
The Issue of Health Insurance and Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric Bypass surgery typically costs on average between $25 000 to $20 000, a figure according to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Paying for such an expensive procedure can be a concern, understandably. And whether or not this operation as well as the related costs are covered by health insurance depends largely on your insurance company, your specific policy and the state where you reside.
Discuss your specific policy with whomever you are insured with so as to see if you are properly covered or not. In some instances a given insurance policy will not cover Gastric Bypass Surgery and the ensuing required care. By this they mean they will not pay for costs related to the preparation, actual surgery and recovery period following surgery.
The Process of Pre-authorization
For those that are insured by an HMO, you will be required to get your general practitioner or family physician to refer you to a bariatric surgeon. They specialize in weight loss surgery. Upon seeing a bariatric surgeon, and qualifying as a good candidate for such a surgery, the next step is the pre-authorization process.
The actual steps it takes to get approval for such a procedure can be rather precarious compared to that of other more popular medical procedures. In most cases your insurance company will insist on having your family general practitioner and bariatric surgeon send what is called a "letter of medical necessity." This is the first initial step in the pre-authorization process. In this letter both your general practitioner and surgeon should stipulate how your overall health and physical constitution will be much better by having this procedure.
At this point, your request for authorization will either be approved, denied, or you will be required to send to your insurance company more information. Typically what then ensues is that your doctor and surgeon will either have to send in additional information, by calling, faxing or mailing this specific and required data.
You do have the opportunity to appeal an insurance company's decision if they choose to deny you coverage. Most if not all insurance policies are by law required to let you know of your right of appeal. Typically you have 30 to 60 days.
A Caveat
Those pre-approved and covered by insurance must be aware of any co-pays or co-insurance costs they will personally have to pay.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare will cover some of the costs of gastric bypass surgery, but only if you are overweight and suffer from type 2 diabetes and or heart disease.
Self-Pay Patients
If you have no coverage, you will be forced to pay for the surgery yourself. Some hospitals do offer payment plans, so you will not have to pay all at once. There is also the option of obtaining a personal loan from a reputable financial lender.
The Overall Cost
If you choose to pay for gastric bypass surgery with the help of a private lender take into consideration the numerous expenses involved, such as the surgeon bill, cost of anesthesia, and nutritional consultations. Your physician should be able to explain what is involved and the cost.
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