Heartburn and reflux treatment

Focusing on patients experiencing heartburn and reflux and other stomach and esophageal problems, led by Dr. Rebecca Burnham, a board-certified general surgeon, our team is at the forefront of technology with leading-edge techniques combined with solid philosophy and experience. This basic principle allows us to provide personalized care with multiple levels of treatment for our patients, all within one facility.

Achalasia is a rare disease of the muscle of the lower esophagus (swallowing tube). Achalasia is a chronic disease in which the nerve function deteriorates over time. In esophageal achalasia, the esophagus does not open to let food pass through, because there is a weakness in the smooth muscle inside the esophagus to move food down.

Symptoms of achalasia

People who suffer from Achalasia may experience any number of symptoms, but the most common symptoms include:

• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• Chest pain
• Regurgitation
• Heartburn

Diagnosing achalasia

To test for achalasia, it is recommended to look at:

• Esophageal manometry – This test measures the rhythmic muscle contractions in your esophagus when you swallow.
• X-rays of your upper digestive system – X-rays taken after you drink a chalky liquid that coats and fills the inside lining of your digestive tract. This allows the physician to see a silhouette of the esophagus, stomach and upper intestine.
• Upper endoscopy – Endoscopy can be used to define a partial blockage of the esophagus if symptoms indicate that possibility.

Treatments for achalasia

Achalasia treatment focuses on relaxing or forcing opening of the lower esophageal sphincter so that food and liquid can move more easily through the digestive tract. Specific treatment will depend on the age and severity of the condition.

A hiatal hernia happens when part of the upper stomach squeezes through the hiatus, an opening in the diaphragm that the esophagus passes through. The exact cause of many hiatal hernias isn’t known. In some people, injury or other damage my weaken muscle tissue. Another cause is putting much (repeated) pressure the muscles around the stomach.

Symptoms of a hiatal hernia

• Heartburn that gets worse when you lean over or lie down
• Chest pain or epigastric pain (below your ribs, upper abdomen)
• Trouble swallowing
• Belching

There are many different types of benign and malignant tumors of the upper GI tract. At Coastal Carolina Reflux Specialists, our goal is to prevent a benign disease from becoming something more serious. We can help you make the correct diagnosis and offer the most up to date treatment.

Some typical tumors include:

• Leiomyoma
• Gastric Cancer
• GIST (gastrointestinal stomach tumor)

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) is a condition that occurs in a person wo has gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid made in the stomach travels up the esophagus and when that stomach acid gets to the throat, it is called laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Symptoms of LPR

• Hoarseness
• Sensation of a lump in the throat
• Need to clear the throat
• Chronic cough
• Difficulty swallowing
• Sore throat

Treatments

• Follow a bland diet
• Eat frequent, small meals
• Lose weight
• Avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine
• Do not eat food less than 2 hours before bedtime
• Raise the head of the bed before sleeping

Gastroparesis is a condition in which the stomach can’t empty food properly.

Symptoms

• Heartburn or GERN
• Nausea
• Vomiting undigested food
• Feeling full quickly when eating
• Abdominal bloating
• Poor appetite and weight loss
• Poor blood sugar control

Treatments

• Changes to your diet
• Medications
• Surgical Treatment
• Gastric electrical stimulation and pacing

Any time an internal body part pushes into an area where it doesn't belong, it's called a hernia. The hiatus is an opening in the diaphragm - the muscular wall separating the chest cavity from the abdomen. Normally, the esophagus goes through the hiatus and attaches to the stomach. In a hiatal hernia, the stomach bulges up into the chest through that opening. There are two main types of hiatal hernias: sliding and paraesophageal (next to the esophagus).

In a sliding hiatal hernia, the stomach and the section of the esophagus that joins the stomach slide up into the chest through the hiatus. This is the more common type of hernia. These sliding hiatal hernias are a risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and many patients with hiatal hernias suffer from GERD symptoms such as heartburn.

The paraesophageal hernia is less common, but is more cause for concern. In many patients, paraesophageal hernias may not cause any symptoms for the patient. These asymptomatic hernias can be safely observed and do not require surgery. When a paraesophageal hernia begins to cause symptoms (chest pain, upper abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing), these are usually repaired. Symptomatic paraesophageal hernias are at higher risk for progressing to incarceration (stomach gets stuck resulting in obstruction) or ischemia (blood supply to the stomach is cut off) resulting in the need for emergency surgery.

Symptoms

• Chest pain
• Epigastric pain (upper abdomen below the ribs)
• Dysphagia (trouble swallowing)
• Shortness of breath
• Stomach ulcer

Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine. The most common symptom of a peptic ulcer is stomach pain. Peptic ulcers include:

• Gastric ulcers – occur on the inside of the stomach
• Duodenal ulcers – occur on the inside of the upper portion of the small intestine

Symptoms

• Burning stomach pain
• Feeling of fullness, bloating or belching
• Fatty food intolerance
• Heartburn
• Nausea