Thanksgiving Week Is GERD Awareness Week— Time to Eat and Drink Wisely
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, in observance of GERD Awareness Week, offers the following 15 suggestions for curbing GERD symptoms during the Thanksgiving holiday:
- Schedule an earlier meal. It's best not to eat late at night if you suffer from GERD.
- Serve light appetizers. Fatty foods like chips, dips, and cheeses are slow to empty from the stomach and more likely to aggravate symptoms.
- Stay active. Stick with your exercise routine during the holidays, as weight loss can help alleviate GERD symptoms.
- Don’t smoke. Nicotine weakens the muscles within your food pipe that prevent backflow (reflux) of stomach contents.
- Nix the juice. Citrus fruits and juices, like grapefruit, orange, and tomato, are acidic and can worsen GERD symptoms.
- Season lightly. Spicy foods, as well as things like onions and garlic, often bother people with GERD and make heartburn worse.
- Limit your drinks. Whether wine at dinner or beer during the game, alcohol can worsen reflux.
- Pass on deep frying your turkey. Fried foods are known to exacerbate GERD symptoms.
- Use smaller plates. Eating large meals can trigger symptoms, so try smaller meals spread throughout the day.
- Substitute water for soda. Caffeinated and carbonated beverages are both notorious heartburn aggravators.
- Watch the desserts. Chocolate might be a favorite, but it often bothers people with GERD.
- Skip the after-dinner mint. Peppermint is another heartburn irritant.
- Slow down. Physical exertion after a meal can lead to reflux.
- Stay awake! While the turkey might make you sleepy, fight the urge take a nap. Lying down within 3 hours after eating a big meal can cause GERD symptoms to flare up.
- Talk to your doctor. An accurate diagnosis is the first step to receiving the most effective treatment.
When to See a Doctor
Medical evaluation for GERD is recommended for people who experience the following symptoms:
- Heartburn more than once a week.
- Severe heartburn.
- Heartburn that occurs predominantly in the evening or wakes a person from sleep.
- Heartburn coupled with difficult or painful swallowing.
- Sour or bitter-tasting fluid entering the mouth from the throat (regurgitation).
- Occasional fullness or discomfort in the upper abdomen and nausea.
- Frequent belching or burping.
- Symptoms that get worse after a person eats, bends over, or lies down.
Treatment for GERD is a continuum that should occur as a stepwise approach:
1) Dietary and lifestyle modification, which is quite effective at managing mild reflux disease.
a. Avoid caffeine, spicy food, peppermint, chocolate and alcoholic beverages.
b. Do not lie down flat for a minimum of 60 minutes after a meal.
c. Sleep with your head/upper body slightly elevated (30-degrees).
2) Medical therapy directed at neutralizing acid.
a. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Aciphex, Protonix, Nexium.
b. H2-blockers, such as Pepcid, Zanatac, Tegamet.
3) Surgery.
Our general/gastrointestinal surgeons are specialists in treating GERD. They provide the conventional operation called Nissen fundoplication, as well as the minimally invasive laparoscopic form of this procedure.
The open Nissen operation has been around for years, but is considered too invasive for all but the most severe cases of chronic heartburn. With the laparoscopic Nissen, patients are generally out of the hospital in one to two days instead of a week, with five tiny scabs rather than a 5- to 7-inch scar.
Our GERD specialists offer other minimally invasive surgical options. They were the first on Long Island approved to perform the minimally invasive LINX procedure to treat GERD (read more).
They also provide the innovative outpatient procedure called transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), which addresses the root cause of GERD. TIF offers a lasting solution without possible unwanted side effects of Nissen fundoplication.
Stony Brook Medicine is the only hospital in Suffolk County, and one of only a few in the New York metropolitan region, to offer the TIF procedure (read more).
Not only do we use leading-edge technology for treating GERD, we also use leading-edge technology for diagnosing laryngo-pharyngeal reflux (LPR) caused by GERD. LPR can occur without heartburn, making it difficult to diagnose. This is why it is sometimes referred to as "silent reflux." A persistent sore throat can be the only symptom.
Heartburn that occurs more than once a week, worsens, or continues over time may signal a more serious condition like GERD, and justifies talking with a doctor to determine how best to manage symptoms.
Our general/gastrointestinal surgeons are leaders in Stony Brook Medicine's Heartburn and Esophageal Center that offers multidisciplinary care and the latest surgical options, with emphasis on minimally invasive procedures.
Learn more about GERD and the surgical treatment of it. For consultations/appointments with our GERD specialists, please call 631-638-3969.