Gastroesophageal reflux, a holiday disease that cannot be ignored

To prevent or alleviate gastroesophageal reflux during the holidays, you need to control the rhythm and amount of your diet, avoid eating before going to bed, control your alcohol intake, avoid smoking, and maintain regular exercise.

Written by Li Changqing (Doctor of Medicine, American-based gastroenterologist)

I believe many of my friends have experienced heartburn and acid reflux, which is generally a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux. The so-called gastroesophageal reflux means that the contents of the stomach enter the esophagus. Under normal circumstances, everyone will have a small amount of gastroesophageal reflux, but because it lasts for a short time and occurs infrequently, there are generally no symptoms. If the reflux occurs frequently and lasts for a long time, symptoms will occur. Occasional reflux symptoms do not need to be treated, but long-term reflux will affect life and sleep, and requires treatment.

There are many causes and triggers of gastroesophageal reflux. During the Spring Festival, gastroesophageal reflux symptoms are most common, mainly due to overeating. Drinking, eating before bed, and eating too many sweets or greasy foods are all common triggers that aggravate gastroesophageal reflux.

Eating too much will delay gastric emptying and increase gastric pressure. Eating too fast will cause more air to be swallowed at the same time, which will also increase reflux. Drinking alcohol and eating greasy food will also cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. The lower esophageal sphincter is a valve-like structure in the lower esophagus that usually remains closed and only opens briefly when swallowing. Excessive and prolonged sphincter relaxation is an important pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux.

In addition, there is another factor that is easily overlooked and causes or aggravates gastroesophageal reflux, which is smoking. Whether it is active or passive smoking, it will relax the lower esophageal sphincter. Smoking will also reduce the secretion of esophageal mucus, and the refluxed gastric acid is not easy to be neutralized and removed, resulting in aggravated heartburn and acid reflux. A common consequence of gatherings during the Spring Festival is that smokers pass cigarettes to each other, and non-smokers passively inhale a large amount of secondhand smoke.

Overeating during the Spring Festival can also have a long-term impact on gastroesophageal reflux, which is weight gain. Every festive season, you gain three pounds. There are as many festivals as there are in a year, and for many people, the weight gained cannot be regained after the festival. Year after year, it accumulates and forms and aggravates obesity. Obesity is a very important risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux. The reason may be that obese patients have increased intra-abdominal pressure, and the angle between the esophagus and the stomach becomes smaller, making reflux easier. Basically, the obesity rate in a region is proportional to the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux.

Long-term gastroesophageal reflux not only brings very uncomfortable symptoms, but long-term esophageal inflammation also increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal cancer is divided into squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. At present, squamous cell carcinoma is still the most common type of esophageal cancer in Chinese people, but adenocarcinoma is the most common type of esophageal cancer in foreign countries. In recent years, esophageal adenocarcinoma in mainland China has also been increasing, which may be related to gastroesophageal reflux - the increase in obesity rate and the increase in fat in the diet are all related risk factors.

If gastroesophageal reflux reaches the lower or middle esophagus, it will cause heartburn and acid reflux. If it reaches the upper esophagus or even the throat, it will cause sore throat, cough, and even asthma. Clinically, many asthma patients have no effect on anti-asthma drugs, but they have achieved relief through anti-gastroesophageal reflux treatment. This type of asthma is called reflux asthma, and the most serious cases may also lead to interstitial pneumonia.

For patients who have been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, in addition to taking medications on time, it is also very important to avoid overeating, drinking and smoking during the Spring Festival.

In short, to avoid the occurrence and aggravation of gastroesophageal reflux during the holidays, you need to control the rhythm and amount of your diet, avoid eating before going to bed, control your drinking, and avoid smoking. If you already have reflux disease, you need to continue taking medication. In addition, regular exercise is also a beneficial lifestyle to reduce gastroesophageal reflux.

Reference Links

[1] https://www.msdmanuals.cn/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/esophageal-and-swallowing-disorders/gastroesophageal-reflux-disease-gerd?

[2] https://thesurgicalclinics.com/gerd-tips-for-holidays

This article is supported by the Science Popularization China Starry Sky Project

Produced by: China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

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