Burning sensation in the chest, indigestion, sour belching, or what we commonly know as symptoms of “acid reflux disease” may sound like just a minor health problem that disturbs quality of life but is not severe. This causes most patients to overlook complete treatment. Allowing the disease to become chronic over time… may put patients at risk of “esophageal cancer” without realizing it.
“Acid reflux” – a common problem caused by this reason
According to the digestive system’s function, when we eat… food passes through the esophagus down to the stomach. There is a sphincter muscle at the end of the esophagus that acts as a valve to open and close, preventing food and stomach acid from flowing back up.
If the sphincter muscle at the end of the esophagus malfunctions, such as being weak, opening too often, or not closing tightly, it will cause stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.
Confused? Are these symptoms gastritis… or acid reflux?
Symptoms indicating “acid reflux” include a burning sensation in the chest, characterized by a burning feeling rising from the epigastric area up to the chest, usually occurring about 30-60 minutes after meals, along with sour belching without preceding nausea or vomiting, or sometimes only one of these symptoms may be present.
As for symptoms of “gastritis”, patients experience stomach pain and burning, feeling a burning sensation from above the navel to the epigastric area, possibly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, bloating, fullness, and indigestion. These symptoms may occur before or after meals.
“Acid reflux” – leaving chronic symptoms untreated may increase cancer risk
When acid flows back into the esophagus, it causes inflammation of the mucosal lining. Prolonged inflammation can lead to changes in the mucosal cells, potentially developing into esophageal cancer. However… the chance of the mucosa transforming into cancer cells is still very low.
How to take care of yourself when having acid reflux – here are the recommendations!
- Do not eat too much to reduce the production of stomach acid by dividing meals into 5-6 small portions per day.
- Lose weight to meet standard levels, as being overweight increases abdominal pressure, leading to acid reflux.
- Avoid eating late meals or consuming food or drinks within 3 hours before bedtime.
- Reduce, quit… smoking, drinking alcohol, and beverages containing caffeine.
- Choose low-fat foods, avoid fried foods, greasy foods, hard-to-digest foods, and spicy foods.
If symptoms do not improve after adjusting behavior or antacid medication does not relieve symptoms, consult a specialist to diagnose whether it is truly acid reflux disease and receive treatment targeted at the identified cause.
