‘I thought it was just a bit of heartburn’
Gastric reflux is one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions and experts say it is on the rise. Here is how to keep that burning sensation away.
Carpenter Jack Vorstenbosch from Ferndale in Perth’s southeast was in his late 50s when he started experiencing what he thought was regular heartburn.
“It would happen during the day sometimes if I ate the wrong thing, but mostly it was at night after my evening meal,” Jack, 63, says. “It was terrible, like a rush of pain in my chest.”
Eventually, Jack’s doctor referred him to a specialist.
Jack is one of the estimated 10 to 15 per cent of Aussies who have experienced gastric reflux, the common condition many people know as heartburn or indigestion.
Who is at risk of gastric reflux?
Ramsay Health Care gastroenterologist Professor Krish Ragunath says our modern lifestyle, eating habits, stress and rising obesity mean the condition is on the rise, particularly among middle-aged men.
Prof Ragunath, who’s been treating gastroenterological disorders for more than two decades, says everybody has brief episodes of reflux at some point in their life — and it can happen in healthy infants, kids and adults, usually after a large meal.
By contrast, people with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) can experience bothersome and painful symptoms, and damage to the oesophagus as a result of acid reflux.
What causes gastric reflux?
Gastric reflux occurs when the sphincter muscle at the lower end of your oesophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach) relaxes at the wrong time, allowing stomach acid to back up into your oesophagus, Prof Ragunath explains.
“It’s often brought on by spicy and fatty food, alcohol and overeating and can cause heartburn, a burning pain or feeling of discomfort that develops just below the breastbone and can rise up,” he says.
“Other signs and symptoms can include a bitter or sour taste in the mouth, trouble in swallowing, nausea, a dry cough or wheezing, and regurgitation of food.”
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When does gastric reflux become serious?
While most episodes don’t cause serious symptoms or complications, in people with a weak sphincter or an underlying illness such as a hernia or increased stomach acidity, long-term acid reflux can damage the oesophagus, Prof Ragunath says.
“This can lead to a condition known as Barrett’s oesophagus, which is a risk factor for oesophageal cancer and usually affects older men,” he explains.
“If your doctor thinks you may be at risk of developing oesophageal cancer, you might be referred for an endoscopy where a thin, flexible tube with a tiny light and camera at its end is inserted down your throat so that the doctor can see what’s going on.”
How to manage gastric reflux
Making changes to your lifestyle are essential to manage and prevent gastric reflux symptoms.
They include avoiding foods that trigger symptoms – such as fatty and spicy foods, chocolate and coffee – and losing weight if you’re overweight or obese.
Other self-help measures include cutting back on alcohol, stopping smoking (because tobacco smoke can irritate your digestive system) and eating smaller, regular meals rather than a large, single meal – especially late at night.
Over-the-counter antacids provide immediate, short-term relief by neutralising stomach acidity, or by forming a protective layer on top of the stomach contents or on the inner lining of the oesophagus.
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Are there other treatment options for gastric reflux?
If you’re still experiencing symptoms, you may need to see your doctor about proton pump inhibitors (PPI), a class of drugs that suppress acid, Prof Ragunath advises.
“A small percentage of people with severe symptoms may require surgery to fix the hiatus hernia, which is performed through a key-hole approach known as laparoscopy,” he says.
“People need to be aware of heartburn; don’t ignore it because in the long term, it can lead to serious complications.”
Written by Liz McGrath.
