The discomfort that starts above the navel gives symptoms with burning and pain spreading from the back of the sternum and chest cage to the neck, while it causes burning in the mouth and even in the trachea, a feeling of bitter water in the mouth, cough, and hoarseness. Reflux, which increases in severity while sleeping or in a bent position, occurs when the sphincter (valve) mechanism located between the esophagus and stomach junction loses its function. The deterioration of this function causes the food that goes down to the stomach to escape into the esophagus.
Chocolate, one of the biggest causes of reflux
Bitter or fatty food, chocolate, coffee and alcohol consumption accelerates the formation of reflux and that Stating that he felt the symptoms more strongly when he was in the supine position, Bayındır Söğütözü Hospital General Surgery Department Head Prof. Dr. Zafer Ferahköşe, “Most of the patients have a reflux attack at least once a week. Waking up at night increases and job loss occurs during the day. About 70 percent of reflux patients use medication to reduce symptoms, while 45 percent of them have reflux attacks. Taking more than one drug does not reduce the symptoms. Patients need to analyze the symptoms well to facilitate diagnosis. If the resulting inflammation is replaced by pain, it brings to mind some diseases such as myocardial ischemia, pyloric stenosis, gallstones, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers”
Anti acid treatment should be applied
Failure to keep reflux attacks under control may cause the esophagus to lose its internal tissue feature over time. Emphasizing Prof. Dr. Zafer Ferahköşe, “The inner tissue of the stomach is replaced by the tissue of the esophagus. In this case, the patient has difficulty in swallowing, preventing swallowing first solid food and then liquid food. Over time, these different epithelial cells can change shape and structure and may even lead to cancer. Anti-acid therapy is recommended for up to 12 weeks in newly developing reflux. In the meantime, patients should lie with their head and body parts high and inclined, not wear tight clothes that will tighten the stomach area, go to sleep at least four hours after eating, avoid coffee, chocolate, alcohol and spicy foods” .
Surgical intervention is required if treatment does not work
Reflux complaints continue despite medical treatment or who cannot use proton pump inhibitors that reduce the acid level in the stomach Saying that surgical treatment comes into play in young patients, Prof. Dr. Zafer Ferahkose gave the following information about the operation; “With laparoscopic or open reflux surgery, symptoms and reflux that occur in approximately 90 percent of patients disappear. The aim of the surgery is to reconstruct the valve between the stomach and the esophagus. In the second month after the surgery, reflux is brought under control with 24-hour acid measurement in the patients. “The success rate between open and closed surgery is almost the same. In laparoscopic surgery, returning to daily life after surgery is faster and more comfortable.”
