When is reflux a problem

It shoots out of the baby's mouth. This is called projectile vomiting. Right after vomiting, the baby is hungry and wants to feed. In these babies, it becomes narrow and tight. Risk: weight loss or dehydration Treatment: cured by surgery.

Bellevue Everett Federal Way Seattle. Should your child see a doctor? All Symptoms. Accept All Cookies. This causes your baby to spit up regurgitate. Once his or her sphincter muscle fully develops, your baby should no longer spit up.

Reflux is very common in babies. About half all babies spit up many times a day in the first 3 months of their lives. They usually stop spitting up between the ages of 12 and 14 months.

GERD is also common in younger infants. Many 4-month-olds have it. In babies, the main symptom of reflux and GERD is spitting up. GERD may also cause symptoms such as. In most cases, a doctor diagnoses reflux by reviewing your baby's symptoms and medical history.

If the symptoms do not get better with feeding changes and anti-reflux medicines, your baby may need testing. Several tests can help a doctor diagnose GERD. Sometimes doctors order more than one test to get a diagnosis.

Common tests include. If feeding changes do not help enough, the doctor may recommend medicines to treat GERD. The medicines work by lowering the amount of acid in your baby's stomach. The doctor will only suggest medicine if your baby still has regular GERD symptoms and. Reflux is sometimes painless: You may have trouble swallowing or get a dry cough, perhaps some wheezing. Occasional reflux episodes are normal.

If reflux occurs less than once a week, you can usually cope by making lifestyle changes or using over-the-counter medications. John Pandolfino of Northwestern University. It may be gastroesophageal Related to the stomach and the esophagus. You may need prescription medications to control it. GERD should be taken seriously. Stomach gastric contents contain acid needed to digest food.

In reflux, these contents wash upward into the esophagus, a slender tube connecting the mouth and the stomach. In adults, GERD can raise the risk of cancer of the esophagus. Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce or even stop uncomfortable GERD symptoms. Untreated GERD can cause permanent damage to the esophagus. You'll probably find that one of the simplest ways to make living with GERD easier is to avoid the things that trigger your symptoms.

Some people will have to limit certain foods; others may have to give them up entirely. It all depends on your symptoms. It can be hard to give up sodas or favorite foods at first. But after a while, lots of people discover that they feel so much better that they don't miss the problem foods as much as they thought they would. Reviewed by: Jolanda M. Denham, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Other symptoms of GERD include: a sore, raw throat or hoarse voice a frequent sour taste of acid, especially when lying down a feeling of burping acid into the mouth trouble swallowing a feeling that food is stuck in the throat a feeling of choking that may wake someone up a dry cough bad breath What Causes GERD?

This can happen for different reasons: In some people, the muscle doesn't tighten properly. In others, it doesn't close quickly enough or at the right time, letting stomach contents wash back up. If a person eats way too much, the stomach may be so stretched the muscle can't work as it should. In many people, these foods bring on symptoms: citrus fruits chocolate drinks or foods with caffeine fatty and fried foods garlic and onions peppermint spicy foods tomato-based foods, like spaghetti sauce, chili, and pizza How Is GERD Diagnosed?

This special X-ray can show liquid backing into the esophagus, irritation or narrowing of the esophagus, and any upper digestive tract problems. For the test, you'll swallow a small amount of a chalky liquid barium.