Who has not experienced the burning sensation in the esophagus, possibly accompanied by acid reflux, after a heavy meal? While everyone can have this unpleasant experience from time to time, one third of adults complain of it regularly, and 5% to 10% suffer from it every day. This problem has a name well known to doctors: gastroesophageal reflux disease. A disease that, when it becomes chronic, can cause harm if left untreated.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD) is purely mechanical. “It happens when the barriers that normally oppose the rise of stomach contents don’t work properly.”explains Pr: Frank Zerbib, Head of the Department of Hepatogastroenterology at the University Hospital of Bordeaux. The stomach contains an acidic fluid that aids in digestion, or “The pressure in the abdomen and stomach is positive, while it is negative in the esophagus, which can promote the regurgitation of stomach contents into the esophagus.”exactly…
Source: Le Figaro
