Treating Acid Reflux Disease...

The rubric "lifestyle modifications" is the term physicians use when recommending non-pharmaceutical treatments for GERD. A 2006 review suggested that evidence for most dietary interventions is anecdotal; only weight loss and elevating the head of the bed were found to be supported by evidence.

Foods

Certain foods and lifestyle are considered to promote gastroesophageal reflux:

Elevating the head of the bed

in combination with food avoidance before bedtime and elevation of the head of the bed over 95% of patients will have complete relief.

Drug treatment

A number of drugs are registered for the treatment of GERD, and they are among the most-often-prescribed forms of medication in most Western countries.

Surgical treatment

The standard surgical treatment, sometimes preferred over longtime use of medication, is the Nissen fundoplication.

Other treatments

In 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two endoscopic devices to treat chronic heartburn. One system, Endocinch, puts stitches in the LES to create little pleats that help strengthen the muscle. Another, the Stretta Procedure, uses electrodes to apply radio frequency energy to the LES. The long term outcomes of both procedures compared to a Nissen fundoplication are still being determined.

Another treatment which involved injection of a solution that is injected during endoscopy into the lower esophageal wall was available for approximatly one year ending in late 2005. It was marketed under the name Enteryx. It was removed from the market due to several reports of complications from misplaced injections.

Some people have found success using dietary change to treat their own acid reflux.