Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is the medical term for what most people refer to as acid reflux disease.
Gastroesophageal is a relatively new term for acid reflux disease. It has been used for approximately the past 20 years. Before that it was just referred to as heartburn. But heartburn is just one of the symptoms of GERD. Some of the other symptoms of GERD are regurgitation, hoarseness or laryngitis, the feeling of a lump in the throat, coughing, bad breath, asthma, difficulty swallowing, and water brash. Some people with GERD do not have any symptoms at all.
What happens to cause GERD? It starts with acid in the stomach washing back up into the esophagus repeatedly, which happens if the lower esophageal sphincter becomes relaxed.
Some foods and beverages can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. This is not an all-inclusive list but some of the most common are: chocolate, licorice, peppermint, fatty foods, caffeinated beverages, and alcohol. Barbiturates, calcium-channel blockers, Diazepam and Sumitriptan are some of the medications that cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax and allow acid back in to the esophagus....