The causes of acid reflux are relaxation of the “lower esophageal sphincter” and increased abdominal pressure. During the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (gastroscopy), ulcers may be found in the lower esophagus. In severe cases, there may be narrowing of the esophagus, precancerous lesions, and even esophageal cancer. If the diagnosis cannot be confirmed by gastroscopy, a 24-hour esophageal pH test can be performed to record the acidity of the lower esophagus to determine the frequency and duration of acid reflux. To alleviate the condition, you must make changes of your own living habits. When eating, you must not overeat or lie down after eating. So there should be at least 3 to 4 hours between dinner time and bedtime. Smoking, drinking, greasy food, chocolate, cheese, mint, curry, onion, coffee, etc. will increase acid reflux. Finally, of course, it is necessary to lose your belly to reduce abdominal pressure. Doctors can also prescribe anti-gastric acid drugs such as H2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors to help relieve the condition.
H. pylori can cause chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. Fortunately, the infected population in Hong Kong has dropped to about 30%. Gastroscopy and gastric wall tissue examination can accurately diagnose. For people who do not have symptoms, the C13 breath test is a relatively convenient test to confirm whether the patient has H. pylori infection. Treatment is to use drugs including proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid and take antibiotics against H. pylori. After 14 days of treatment, the chance of clearing H. pylori is about 90%. Patients can perform a C13 test 4 weeks after to confirm whether there are still. After the H. pylori, the chance of recurrence is less than 1%, and is an effective way to prevent gastric ulcer or gastric cancer.
The cause of indigestion is, and the patients do not have gastrointestinal diseases or structural problems, but they may experience bloating, stomach pain, stomach gas or loss of appetite. Some patients who are also infected with H. pylori, clearing the bacteria can help them to relieve their condition. Doctors can prescribe gastric acid neutralizers and gastric acid suppressants at the time of illness. However, patients also need to slow down the pace of life, relax their mood and quit bad habits such as overeating, smoking, alcoholism and lack of exercise in order to control the condition.
