Could your painful swallowing, nausea, heartburn be caused by Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)?
If you experience a burning sensation in your chest, sometimes spreading to your throat, along with a sour taste in your mouth, difficulty swallowing, dry cough, regurgitation of food or sour liquid, it could be GERD (acid reflux). Many people suffering from GERD try antacids or prescriptions, which block the production of acid in the stomach and also protect the esophagus from damage. In addition to medication—eating smaller meals, sleeping on an incline and eliminating acidic foods from your diet may alleviate symptoms.
However, when medication and lifestyle changes are not providing relief—it may be time to consider surgical treatment. Surgeons on staff at Summit Surgical Specialists, can perform surgical repair for GERD, and many times the procedures can be minimally invasive.
Bravo PH Test for GERD
The Bravo PH test uses a PH-sensing wireless clip that is placed into esophageal tissue during a EGD to measure pH levels. The small clip is attached to the wall of the esophagus during an upper endoscopy. The patient will wear a recorder/receiver for 48 hours to capture the data from the clip.
The recorder/receiver has several buttons on it that the patient will press to record symptoms of GERD such as heartburn during the 48 hours. Patients will be asked to maintain a diary to keep track of events like when you start and stop eating and drinking, when you lie down and when you get back up. The clip falls off within 7-10 days and is passed through the digestive system and does not need to be retrieved.
This test is performed to aid in the diagnosis of GERD but can also be used to diagnose patients with hiatal hernias which may need surgical intervention.