GERD IBS – Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease is often experienced in those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
What is GERD?
GERD happens with the incompetency of the lower esophageal sphincter. The condition results in irritation of the esophagus by the stomach acid running back up the esophagus. Many IBS sufferers have this problem.
The Mainstream Treatments
When a doctor is consulted, the medication often prescribed is to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. This can help with GERD but aggravates your IBS symptoms, since the acid is what breaks-down your food.
Further Symptoms
If unbroken food reaches your small intestines because the volume of stomach acid has been reduced, then the bacteria living in your small intestines will begin to produce an abundance of gas when in contact with the unbroken food.
This gas production can cause significant discomfort in the intestinal regions. Symptoms can range from stomach pains, to intestinal soreness, bloating, foul smelling gas, belching, noisy gut, etc. The severity of these symptoms can also vary from individual to individual as some IBS sufferers may have a more significant bacterial imbalance in the gut.
Tips Provided
GERD may also go away on its own. A few tips is to sleep with a thicker pillow under your head to elevate your head and prevent the stomach juices from going up your esophagus. Another tip is to drink pleny of water but stop preferably two hours before going to bed.
I had GERD for a number of months but after following these steps, GERD started to subside and has then stopped completely. My GERD may have originally started because I was taking a strong set of antibiotics.
It may take several weeks to several months for the symptoms to subside. If the tip is working, keep it up until the symptoms of GERD IBS have been completely eliminated.
Return to Articles on IBS
Return to Reversing IBS [home page]