will a weakened LES eventually get better on its own??

[adrianharley]

About GERD, hiatal hernia & weakened LES:

I'm 27. Over this yr I have been under alot of stress & gone through many bouts of a very acidic stomach (when you feel horrible about something for days). Also, I feel I have had horrible lifestyle habits:

—10-12 units of alcohol/week
—skipping lunch most days & going hungry due to loss of appetite & being busy
—eating late, large dinners
—lying down directly after eating
—eating really great food (rich, garlicky, buttery, etc.)
—drinking OJ/coffee every morning (oh, so delicious)

However, I don't smoke & am not overweight.

Also:

—I took a mth of Glucosamine for my joints, I have heard causes overacidity.
—I had strep throat TWICE this summer.
—I was on the Nuva Ring for 3 months & had alot of nausea, loss of appetite.
—I battled back-to-back severe dry throats from: mild altitude sickness/dehydration (7000 ft above sea level), the common cold, then side effect of the flu vaccine.

I carried a very heavy pumpkin 6 blocks 3 wks ago. 1st wk: woke up with a dry hoarse throat each day. 2nd wk: had one of those stressful acidic stomachs. Then I had chronic, kinda painful burping for 5 days straight.

Stuff felt bunched up into my chest, it just felt open. I think I got a hiatal hernia from heavy lifting. This was only relieved when I found something online that said to repair a hiatal hernia drink a pint of warm water in the morning on your tiptoes, kneel down, stand back up. The weight of the water, gravity pulls your stomach down. I did this 4 times & felt better. The burping is less & less each day.

I have cut out ALOT of acid inducing food/drink. I eat smaller meals, slowly & more often. I take antacids & sleep 6-8 ins inclined, never lying down less than 3 hrs after eating.

MY QUESTION!

I still feel food/watery acid poking into my throat, sometimes washing up like waves, esp. at night. And I swallow & to no avail it won't stay down!

WILL THIS GET BETTER?

[JESUS18]

my advice to you is to try everything possible before surgery, I had surgey done and not too happy with it, so try natural medicine or other approaches like Aloe vera juice and red apples after each meal, this helped me alot before surgery but afterwards it has not, so explore ur options first.

[Ratnakar Kini]

Hi,
GERD has to be treated with PPI and lifestyle modifications.

Lifestyle modifications -
1. Head elevation while sleeping
2. Small frequent meals
3. Going to bed 2- 3 hours after food
4. Avoiding bed time snacks
5. Avoiding smoking and alcohol
6. Avoiding tight fitting clothes
7. Avoiding cola, citrus drinks, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, spicy food
8. Weight reduction

LES can get weakened due to various reasons.Smoking and alcohol can weaken LES. Abstinence can reverse the effect. On the other hand hiatal hernia , an anatomical defect which also can weaken LES has to be corrected. Symptomatic relief can be acheived with medications whereas definite relief is with surgery.
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The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.