If you have been suffering from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) for a number of years, you might be concerned that you will develop Barrett’s Esophagus, and with good reason. Barrett’s Esophagus is often a natural progression from chronic or long-term GERD. While there are not always noticeable symptoms when a person develops Barrett’s esophagus the most common symptoms of Barrett’s esophagus are similar to the symptoms of GERD, but there can be some additional symptoms. The tricky thing is that sometimes there aren’t any noticeable symptoms.
The most important thing to do if you feel you are experiencing Barrett’s Esophagus symptoms is to get a positive diagnosis from your doctor. The reason for this is that there is an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer if you have Barrett’s esophagus so you need to keep an eye on it. Regular screenings can help prevent esophageal cancer, which is important because esophageal cancer is difficult to treat once it develops.
Read Barrett’s Esophagus Symptoms
While I don’t mean to frighten you, I do suggest seeking medical advice if you persistently experience these symptoms. Often times, people relate these symptoms to stress and treat them casually with antacids or H-2 blockers.
The problem is you might experience some short-lived relief with these treatments, but you may also mask the symptoms to a degree where you delay a physician’s ability to identify genuine stomach cancer symptoms and diagnose the cancer early enough to treat it successfully.
Read Stomach Cancer Symptoms
With Project Diet Acid Reflux, I will attempt to both provide you a basic diet to which you can adhere to improve your acid reflux symptoms and I will try to address the myths and truths of how various foods contribute to your heartburn or to your relief. This page related to GERD symptoms will evolve, grow and change over time.
Note: I will tell you what the latest research indicates, but I will also lean on personal experience and the anecdotal wisdom of people close to me. You will find research that indicates certain diets don’t exacerbate your acid reflux despite what conventional wisdom has been for many years. But sometimes research seems to ignore real human experience. In order to diet acid reflux away, you’ll simply need to exercise some common sense on top of scientific understanding.
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It is important to understand stomach ulcers — often referred to as peptic ulcers or gastric ulcers — in order to identify them. Individuals suffering from a stomach ulcer will have a small erosion in the gastrointestinal tract. If the erosion occurs in the stomach it is called a gastric ulcer. If it occurs in the first twelve inches of the small intestine beyond the stomach, it is called a duodenal ulcer. Duodenal ulcers are much more common but are often still simply referred to generally as stomach ulcers.
Earlier symptoms are most difficult to associate directly with stomach ulcers as they often overlap with other medical conditions such as GERD symptoms (see below).
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While some GERD symptoms (symptoms of reflux) may be obvious, other such gastric reflux signs may slip by less concerned individuals who are less attentive. Gastric reflux, commonly referred to as acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), is most easily identified when the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus.
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I was rather startled when I learned my father had developed something often seen as a precursor to a serious cancer.
This was partially as I hadn’t heard of Barrett’s Esophagus, but also because my ol’ pops is actually a strong and healthy man. So I am both trying to understand the relationship between GERD symptoms and Barrett’s Esophagus.
Read Grappling With GERD Symptoms
I found this excellent video on YouTube. I hope this helps those of you who would prefer to view a video than pour through long, dry bodies of text.
For a text summary of what is discussed, try my latest articles such as GERD Symptoms or Diet Acid Reflux.
Read GERD and Barrett’s Esophagus
