What is the cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease?

Gastroesophageal reflux has a great impact on the health of the digestive system, because gastric acid is irritating and can easily cause damage to the mucosa, which can easily lead to inflammation. There are many causes of gastroesophageal reflux disease, you may want to learn about them.

Causes:

There are many factors that cause gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can be roughly divided into two categories:

1. Primary gastroesophageal reflux

Primary lower esophageal sphincter insufficiency is the cause of primary gastroesophageal reflux disease. Through various examinations of patients with reflux symptoms, gastroesophageal reflux was confirmed. However, in some patients, no cause of reflux can be found; this is called primary lower esophageal sphincter insufficiency. This situation is more common in the elderly, which may be related to the relaxation of connective tissue in the elderly, the weakening of the "spring clamp" effect at the esophageal hiatus, and the decline of the intrinsic function of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

Secondary gastroesophageal reflux

Any factor that causes a decrease in lower esophageal sphincter pressure can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease. The details are as follows:

1. Hiatal hernia

Examination and diagnosis The first step in diagnosis is to understand the medical history. If there are only mild reflux symptoms such as heartburn, heartburn, and food regurgitation, treatment with the prokinetic drug cisapride, acid inhibitors such as HZ receptor antagonists, or antacid trials can be effective, a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux can be made. There is no need to perform many other examinations to avoid causing more inconvenience to the patient. For patients with severe symptoms, suspected complications, vague symptoms, or those with ineffective treatment, further investigation of the cause of reflux and various related examinations are required.

Diagnosis

1. Medical history

The clinical manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux can be divided into four groups.

1. Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms

The main symptoms are heartburn, hiccups, and food regurgitation. In mild cases, the patient regurgitates bitter gastric juice or refluxes upward when bending over. In severe cases, the acid reflux may occur when the patient is sleeping soundly at night, and the acidic irritants may reflux into the throat in a jet-like manner, causing choking, wheezing, or a feeling of suffocation. The esophageal acid reflux reflex may also cause excessive salivation. Reflux is usually seen in more serious cases, and the food has a strong sour taste.

2. Symptoms caused by reflux irritating the esophagus