What is Gerd

Technically gerd is an abbreviation for gastroesophageal reflux disease. What this ailment does is irritate and damage the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the opening between the esophagus and stomach. When a person has gerd, their lower esophageal sphincter loosens, thus allowing stomach acid to travel up the esophagus. This causes heart burn or indigestion type symptoms which can vary from moderate to severe discomfort. Many people call this upheaval of stomach acid, "acid reflux." Gerd is typically treated with a change of diet. However, if gerd goes untreated, it can cause catastrophic damage to the integrity of the esophagus. Esophagitis is the eventual result of untreated gerd. This can include bleeding, ulcers, or a general constriction of the esophagus due to scarring.

Where to Seek Help for Gerd

If you happen to find yourself with a gerd diagnosis there are a few places that you can go to seek help. Those include, but are not limited to:

• A physician is a great resource to offer counsel on how to treat gerd.
• A quick search of the internet can yield several websites not only about gerd, but also how to treat it.
• Published medical journals that focus on gastroesophageal reflux disease can offer legitimate, accurate information on gerd, and how to treat it.

Things to Avoid with Gerd

In general, gerd is treated primarily through a change in a person's diet and routine. This usually entails steering clear of foods or daily habits that irritate the lower esophageal sphincter or may trigger acid reflux. Some of those points of triage include:

1. Avoiding foods that initiate acid reflux, like:
   • Fatty food
   • Fried food
   • Whole milk
   • Fast food
   • Chocolate
2. Avoiding food that aggravates the lower esophageal sphincter, like:
   • Citrus fruits or juices (tomato, pineapple, orange, etc.)
   • Coffee
   • Caffeinated sodas
   • Tea
   • Spicy or acidic foods in general
3. Quitting smoking habits which further weakens the lower esophageal muscle.

A Gerd Diet

While the list of foods to avoid if someone is found to have a gerd diagnosis, the number of foods that are acceptable is far more expansive. Some of these items include:

1. Meat with a low fat content like chicken, fish, or turkey.
2. Fruit with low acidity like apples, strawberries, bananas, cantaloupe, or pears.
3. Low fat dairy items like 2 percent milk or fat free yogurt.
4. Any drink that is decaffeinated.
5. Any and all vegetables.

Top 5 Routes for "Gerd Diet"

1. WebMD This website is a wonderful resource for seeking most any medical diagnosis information. The gerd article provides a lot of general information about the disease, treatments, causes, etc. that many people will find very useful.
2. Mayo Clinic This website is associated with one of the most well known hospitals in the United States. It offers comprehensive information about gerd, how to treat it, causes, and a vast variety of other information that visitors to the site will find very informational.
3. HealthLine This website offers some great insight into options that people can add to their diet in order to help treat gerd symptoms.
4. Draxe On this web page, visitors will find a floor plan for what foods will exacerbate their gerd and which ones will help prevent it from becoming a more serious problem. It offers comprehensive diet plans that people can integrate into their own lives.
5. Medical News Today Finally, this website covers the entire scope of gerd information. It touches on causes, treatments, results if it goes untreated, diet options, and many other pieces of data that will help visitors become informed on gastroesophageal reflux disease. The site also provides people with easy tips and tricks that are sure to make the day to day vastly easier. For example, not laying down right after a meal.