Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Essay Example

"Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease" is a perfect example of a paper on the gastrointestinal system.
In modern society, there has been the emergence of various diseases. Most of the diseases occur as a disruption of the normal function of different parts of the body. One of the diseases associated with such failure is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The reason for such abnormality is that the valve that separates the stomach and the esophagus fails to shut completely causing stomach content to revert to the esophagus (ASGE, 2015). The condition has primary symptoms that are heartburn and acid regurgitation (ASGE, 2015). Once the patient is diagnosed with GERD, treatment should be started immediately. The paper will focus on the treatment plan, including medication and education for the patient diagnosed with GERD. Moreover, it will address any cultural issues that may affect the treatment plan for the patient.

There are various medications for treating GERD. The medication is recommended once the symptoms occur for a long time. One of the medications is over-the-counter antacids (ASGE, 2015). They help in decreasing discomfort for a short period. Examples of drugs used in this process are ranitidine and famotidine, and they help in lowering the production of acid in the stomach (ASGE, 2015). The other drugs are used in treating symptoms of the reflux. The drugs are known as proton pump inhibitors, and examples are esomeprazole and rabeprazole (ASGE, 2015). The drugs are taken once or twice per day. They play a significant role in hindering the last processes of acid production in the stomach (ASGE, 2015). The drugs are effective when the symptoms of the reflux occur often.

 There are other drugs that may be used in the treatment of reflux disease. They stimulate muscle activities in both stomach and esophagus (ASGE, 2015). An example of such drugs is metoclopramide. However, the drug is associated with various side effects and hence not recommended. However, other extreme measures may be taken in case the drugs fail to work, or symptoms continue to occur after medication. In such a case, surgery is recommended. As a result, fundoplication is done on the patient (ASGE, 2015).

Patient education is critical to the treatment plan of GERD. The patient should be educated on the importance of lifestyle changes as a way of reducing symptoms and complication of GERD (National Library Medicine, 2015). There are various lifestyle changes that the patient needs to be informed about. The first thing is to tell patient if overweight on the importance of weight loss. Smokers should also be encouraged to cease smoking.  Moreover, the patient will be told to avoid foods that cause acid reflux as well as avoiding taking large meals (UCSF Medical Center, 2015). The patient will also be informed to raise the head of the bed to about 6-8 inches (UCSF Medical Center, 2015).