Table of Contents
II. Lower your symptoms severity with medication
III. Make some lifestyle changes
IV. Consider surgery if all else fails
Living with GERD
No one likes the occasional feeling of heartburn, but what happens when you experience it more than you’d like? Well, chances are, it means you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and it can be bad enough to threaten how you go about your day. After all, it causes acid to touch your esophagus, disturbing your sleep and mealtimes. Alongside this great a disturbance, you might also experience a constant sore throat, hoarseness, asthma, chest pain, and even nausea. Medications like NEXIUM® (esomeprazole) can help control symptoms of this condition. [1]
It’s a frustrating condition, but how do you overcome it? Here are a few ways how.
Lower your symptom severity with medication.
First, consider a GERD treatment like medication. There are a number of medications out there that will reduce the severity of your condition. Some medications like NEXIUM® (esomeprazole) can even heal the lining of your esophagus while effectively lowering the amount of acid your stomach makes. However, it is important to note that it can increase your risk for hip, wrist, and spinal fractures.
To determine what medication works best for you, talk to your doctor. With knowledge of your medical history and current condition, they should be able to help you decide if one or any kind of medication will help.
If they do consider medication right for you, don’t worry about the cost! You can curb it by shipping your prescription medication through an international or Canadian pharmacy referral service, such as True Canada Pharmacy.
Make some lifestyle changes.
Medication likely won’t cure your GERD symptoms entirely, so you may want to make some lifestyle changes. For instance, certain changes you can make will further reduce your symptoms. Some of these changes include:
- Losing weight
- Wearing loose clothing
- Staying upright after eating for three hours
- Sleeping at an angle with your head raised by placing blocks under your bedposts
- Quitting smoking
- Avoiding secondhand smoke
Consider surgery if all else fails.
Unfortunately, in some cases, medication and lifestyle changes won’t always help. If that ends up being the case for you, then surgery might be your answer. There are two surgeries that could help
- Fundoplication — This surgery involves a surgeon sewing the top of your stomach around your esophagus. Doing so adds pressure to the end of your esophagus while reducing reflux in the long run.
- Endoscopic techniques — Some of these techniques include endoscopic sewing and radiofrequency. The former helps tighten your sphincter muscle using small stitches. And the latter does the same but through the creation of heat lesions or sores. But typically, these techniques are not considered to be on par with Fundoplication.
Whatever treatment you choose, give it time. You may want immediate relief from GERD, but treatments take longer than you might initially expect. So be patient and give one or more of these GERD-relief treatments a go. Over time, you should see and feel the relief you desire. [2]
DISCLAIMER: The content in this article is intended for informational purposes only. This website does not provide medical advice. In all circumstances, you should always seek the advice of your physician and/or other qualified health professionals(s) for drug, medical condition, or treatment advice. The content provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.