Holidays are a time for more gathering, more socializing and more eating. For people with gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), this can take the happy out of a holiday celebration. So, as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, Three Kings Day and more incredible festivities approach, learn more from Dr. Dina Ahmad of WakeMed Gastroenterology about the lifestyle modifications that can help you manage GERD.

GERD is a condition where stomach contents containing a mixture of food, acid and bile come back into the esophagus and causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications.

Symptoms of GERD

Heartburn is the most common symptom. It is a burning sensation that occurs in the central upper abdomen and may travel up behind the breastbone into the throat. This usually occurs two to three hours after meals or at night. Other symptoms include chest pain that can mimic a heart attack, a choking sensation, sore throat or hoarseness/loss of voice upon awakening from sleep, and even a regurgitation of food when bending over or lying down flat.

Less common symptoms include frequent throat clearing, chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia, chronic sinus infection and night-time asthma.

Very rarely esophageal cancer can occur as a complication of chronic, long-standing reflux disease.

Risk Factors for GERD

GERD is more common in people who are affected by obesity and in those with hiatal hernia, a condition where a portion of the stomach is within the chest.

Lifestyle Management of Mild GERD

Mild GERD can be managed with diet and lifestyle modifications. Here are some tips:

We recommend weight loss for patients affected by obesity.
Avoid tight fitting clothing and garments to reduce pressure on the abdomen.
Avoid trigger foods that may contribute to acid reflux, such as alcohol, fatty foods, carbonated beverages, chocolate, excessive caffeine, spicy foods and acidic foods, such as tomatoes
Wait three to four hours after a meal before lying down.
Avoid late night snacks.
Elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees, so gravity can assist in preventing stomach contents from backing up into the esophagus.
Quit smoking. Quit With WakeMed can help. Smoking decreases saliva production thereby decreasing the ability to neutralize acid or reflex swallow to push acid back into the stomach.

Over-the-counter medications, such as Pepcid and TUMS can help when used intermittently for infrequent symptoms.

When to Seek Care

GERD requires a medical provider’s attention when persistent heartburn is affecting quality of life and when a person finds it difficult or painful to swallow, has chest pain, vomits blood or is losing weight due to the condition.

People with symptoms of moderate to severe GERD or GERD-related complications may require further evaluation with endoscopy and long-term treatment with Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as Pantoprazole (Protonix), Esomeprazole (Nexium), Omeprazole (Prilosec), Lansoprazole (Prevacid), Rabeprazole (Aciphex) and Dexlansoprasole (Dexilant), in addition to lifestyle modification.

PPIs are the most effective medical treatment for GERD. Some medical studies have identified an association between the long-term use of PPIs and the development of adverse conditions, including intestinal infections, chronic kidney disease, dementia and others. Those studies have flaws, are not considered definitive and do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between PPIs and the adverse conditions. High-quality studies have found that PPIs do not significantly increase the risk of any of these conditions except intestinal infections. For the treatment of GERD, gastroenterologists generally agree that the well-established benefits of PPIs far outweigh their theoretical risks.

WakeMed Gastroenterology Can Help

If you are not yet receiving treatment for GERD but feel that you need to, call WakeMed Gastroenterology – Cary at 919-235-6440 or visit us online for more information about our practice locations in Raleigh.

About Dina Ahmad, MD

Dr. Dina Ahmad is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical interests in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of various gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Ahmad has special interest and additional training in performing advanced gastrointestinal procedures including Endoscopic Ultrasound and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with an emphasis on pancreatic and biliary tract disease as well as GI oncology. Dr. Ahmad received her medical degree at the University of Jordan School of Medicine and Surgery in Amman, Jordan. She completed her internal medicine residency at University of Missouri and is fellowship trained in gastroenterology and hepatology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Ahmad also received advanced endoscopy fellowship training at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/CWRU.

Dr. Ahmad strives to treat every patient like family. She enjoys getting to know her patients and understands their needs and concerns by listening and allowing them to take part in their care. Her philosophy is to build a physician-patient relationship based on trust.

When not at work, Dr. Ahmad enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with her family.

About WakeMed Gastroenterology

The physicians at WakeMed Gastroenterology excel in diagnosing and treating a variety of digestive diseases and disorders with sophisticated procedures addressing everything from acid reflux, swallowing difficulties and polyps to Crohn’s, and more.

Our dedicated physicians provide exceptional care by working closely with patients to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal disorders so that our patients can return to a normal, healthy life as quickly as possible. We treat a wide variety of conditions with the most advanced treatment options available.

Reference: 1. Katz PO, Dunbar K, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022 Jan 1; 117(1): 27–56.

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