Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder of the digestive system and is known to affect people of every age from adults to infants. This disorder can occur when the food or fluids or acidic stomach juices return to the esophagus from the stomach. The people suffering from this disorder generally have several symptoms like heartburn, i.e., burning sensation in the chest, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, regurgitation of food and sour liquids, and the feeling of a lump in your throat. There are various factors that make one more prone to this disorder, such as obesity, pregnancy, connective tissue disorder, prolonged empty stomach, smoking, asthma, and certain medications.
Herein, we describe the various ways through which GERD is diagnosed.
Upper endoscopy
Upper endoscopy is one of the most common methods for diagnosing this disorder. This procedure is performed in a doctor’s clinic or a hospital. Doctors will provide you with a certain sedative before performing this procedure so that you will be relaxed throughout the procedure. Before initiating this procedure, the physician will numb your throat by spraying some chemical and will then insert a thin plastic tube down your throat. This plastic tube is called an endoscope, and it has a camera at its end, through which doctors can see the esophagus and find the abnormalities. They can also take tissue from the esophagus to perform a biopsy for further procedure.
Ambulatory acid probe test
This is another diagnosis procedure to find the abnormality in the esophagus. In this procedure, a monitor is used, which is placed in the esophagus to discover the stomach acid regurgitation. This monitor is connected to a tiny computer that is worn by the patient around their waist or over their shoulder. This monitor can be something like a thin and flexible tube inserted into the esophagus through the nose or it can be something like a clip that can be placed in the esophagus during endoscopy. This monitor can be removed from your body through your stool in two days of its insertion.
Esophageal manometry
With the help of this examination, one can measure the contractions in the esophagus while swallowing. This procedure can help one in finding whether their sphincter muscle is not strong enough or there is another issue because of which he or she has symptoms of GERD. This procedure is performed by numbing the throat, after which a thin tube is inserted into the stomach through the nose. For taking measurements, this tube is then pulled into the esophagus and during this procedure, a computer makes measurements of the contractions in the esophagus.
X-ray of the upper digestive system
This type of X-ray can be done by making you drink a chalky liquid. This liquid coat the lining of your digestive tract. With the help of this coating, the doctor can make his findings of any issues in your esophagus, upper intestine, and stomach.
These are the few ways of finding the main reason for this condition.
