Information

Question:
Can bananas help relieve an upset stomach?

Answer:
Yes. Bananas stimulate the production of mucus and cells in the stomach that create a barrier between the stomach lining and the acidic gastric substances that cause heartburn and stomach upset. If a person is actively vomiting, however, bananas or other solids may not be recommended. In this situation, clear liquids would be more appropriate. Once the person is ready to start eating solid food again, it is best to start with bland food. Bananas are considered a bland food.

Bananas are also part of the BRAT diet, a diet many physicians and nurses recommend for children recovering from gastrointestinal upsets, particularly diarrhea. BRAT stands for the different components that make up the diet: Bananas, Rice cereal, Applesauce, Toast.

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

On this page:

What are the symptoms of GERD?
GERD in Children
What causes GERD?
How is GERD treated?
What if symptoms persist?
What are the long-term complications of GERD?
Points to Remember
Hope Through Research
For More Information

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. The LES is a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach. The esophagus carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn. The fluid may even be tasted in the back of the mouth, and this is called acid indigestion. Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week may be considered GERD, and it can eventually lead to more serious health problems.

Anyone, including infants, children, and pregnant women, can have GERD.

What are the symptoms of GERD?

The main symptoms are persistent heartburn and acid regurgitation. Some people have GERD without heartburn. Instead, they experience pain in the chest, hoarseness in the morning, or trouble swallowing. You may feel like you have food stuck in your throat or like you are choking or your throat is tight. GERD can also cause a dry cough and bad breath.

GERD in Children

Studies* show that GERD is common and may be overlooked in infants and children. It can cause repeated vomiting, coughing, and other respiratory problems. Children's immature digestive systems are usually to blame, and most infants grow out of GERD by the time they are 1 year old. Still, you should talk to your child's doctor if the problem occurs regularly and causes discomfort. Your doctor may recommend simple strategies for avoiding reflux, like burping the infant several times during feeding or keeping the infant in an upright position for 30 minutes after feeding. If your child is older, the doctor may recommend avoiding

sodas that contain caffeine
chocolate and peppermint
spicy foods like pizza
acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes
fried and fatty foods

Avoiding food 2 to 3 hours before bed may also help. The doctor may recommend that the child sleep with head raised. If these changes do not work, the doctor may prescribe medicine for your child. In rare cases, a child may need surgery.

*Jung AD. Gastroesophageal reflux in infants and children. American Family Physician. 2001;64(11):1853–1860.

What causes GERD?

No one knows why people get GERD. A hiatal hernia may contribute. A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach is above the diaphragm, the muscle wall that separates the stomach from the chest. The diaphragm helps the LES keep acid from coming up into the esophagus. When a hiatal hernia is present, it is easier for the acid to come up. In this way, a hiatal hernia can cause reflux. A hiatal hernia can happen in people of any age; many otherwise healthy people over 50 have a small one.

Other factors that may contribute to GERD include

alcohol use
overweight
pregnancy
smoking

Also, certain foods can be associated with reflux events, including

citrus fruits
chocolate
drinks with caffeine
fatty and fried foods
garlic and onions
mint flavorings
spicy foods
tomato-based foods, like spaghetti sauce, chili, and pizza
How is GERD treated?

If you have had heartburn or any of the other symptoms for a while, you should see your doctor. You may want to visit an internist, a doctor who specializes in internal medicine, or a gastroenterologist, a doctor who treats diseases of the stomach and intestines. Depending on how severe your GERD is, treatment may involve one or more of the following lifestyle changes and medications or surgery.

Lifestyle Changes
- If you smoke, stop.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Lose weight if needed.
- Eat small meals.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes.
- Avoid lying down for 3 hours after a meal.
- Raise the head of your bed 6 to 8 inches by putting blocks of wood under the bedposts—just using extra pillows will not help.
Medications

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter antacids, which you can buy without a prescription, or medications that stop acid production or help the muscles that empty your stomach.

Antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, Mylanta, Pepto-Bismol, Rolaids, and Riopan, are usually the first drugs recommended to relieve heartburn and other mild GERD symptoms. Many brands on the market use different combinations of three basic salts—magnesium, calcium, and aluminum—with hydroxide or bicarbonate ions to neutralize the acid in your stomach. Antacids, however, have side effects. Magnesium salt can lead to diarrhea, and aluminum salts can cause constipation. Aluminum and magnesium salts are often combined in a single product to balance these effects.

Calcium carbonate antacids, such as Tums, Titralac, and Alka-2, can also be a supplemental source of calcium. They can cause constipation as well.

Foaming agents, such as Gaviscon, work by covering your stomach contents with foam to prevent reflux. These drugs may help those who have no damage to the esophagus.

H₂ blockers, such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB), famotidine (Pepcid AC), nizatidine (Axid AR), and ranitidine (Zantac 75), impede acid production. They are available in prescription strength and over the counter. These drugs provide short-term relief, but over-the-counter H₂ blockers should not be used for more than a few weeks at a time. They are effective for about half of those who have GERD symptoms. Many people benefit from taking H₂ blockers at bedtime in combination with a proton pump inhibitor.

Proton pump inhibitors include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), and esomeprazole (Nexium), which are all available by prescription. Proton pump inhibitors are more effective than H₂ blockers and can relieve symptoms in almost everyone who has GERD.

Another group of drugs, prokinetics, helps strengthen the sphincter and makes the stomach empty faster. This group includes bethanechol (Urecholine) and metoclopramide (Reglan). Metoclopramide also improves muscle action in the digestive tract, but these drugs have frequent side effects that limit their usefulness.

Because drugs work in different ways, combinations of drugs may help control symptoms. People who get heartburn after eating may take both antacids and H₂ blockers. The antacids work first to neutralize the acid in the stomach, while the H₂ blockers act on acid production. By the time the antacid stops working, the H₂ blocker will have stopped acid production. Your doctor is the best source of information on how to use medications for GERD.

What if symptoms persist?

If your heartburn does not improve with lifestyle changes or drugs, you may need additional tests.
- A barium swallow radiograph uses x rays to help spot abnormalities such as a hiatal hernia and severe inflammation of the esophagus. With this test, you drink a solution and then x rays are taken. Mild irritation will not appear on this test, although narrowing of the esophagus—called stricture—ulcers, hiatal hernia, and other problems will.
- Upper endoscopy is more accurate than a barium swallow radiograph and may be performed in a hospital or a doctor's office. The doctor will spray your throat to numb it and slide down a thin, flexible plastic tube called an endoscope. A tiny camera in the endoscope allows the doctor to see the surface of the esophagus and to search for abnormalities. If you have had moderate to severe symptoms and this procedure reveals injury to the esophagus, usually no other tests are needed to confirm GERD.
  
  The doctor may use tiny tweezers (forceps) in the endoscope to remove a small piece of tissue for biopsy. A biopsy viewed under a microscope can reveal damage caused by acid reflux and rule out other problems if no infecting organisms or abnormal growths are found.
- In an ambulatory pH monitoring examination, the doctor puts a tiny tube into the esophagus that will stay there for 24 hours. While you go about your normal activities, it measures when and how much acid comes up into your esophagus. This test is useful in people with GERD symptoms but no esophageal damage. The procedure is also helpful in detecting whether respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and coughing, are triggered by reflux.
Surgery

Surgery is an option when medicine and lifestyle changes do not work. Surgery may also be a reasonable alternative to a lifetime of drugs and discomfort.

Fundoplication, usually a specific variation called Nissen fundoplication, is the standard surgical treatment for GERD. The upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the LES to strengthen the sphincter and prevent acid reflux and to repair a hiatal hernia.

This fundoplication procedure may be done using a laparoscope and requires only tiny incisions in the abdomen. To perform the fundoplication, surgeons use small instruments that hold a tiny camera. Laparoscopic fundoplication has been used safely and effectively in people of all ages, even babies. When performed by experienced surgeons, the procedure is reported to be as good as standard fundoplication. Furthermore, people can leave the hospital in 1 to 3 days and return to work in 2 to 3 weeks.

In 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two endoscopic devices to treat chronic heartburn. The Bard EndoCinch system puts stitches in the LES to create little pleats that help strengthen the muscle. The Stretta system uses electrodes to create tiny cuts on the LES. When the cuts heal, the scar tissue helps toughen the muscle. The long-term effects of these two procedures are unknown.

Implant

Recently the FDA approved an implant that may help people with GERD who wish to avoid surgery. Enteryx is a solution that becomes spongy and reinforces the LES to keep stomach acid from flowing into the esophagus. It is injected during endoscopy. The implant is approved for people who have GERD and who require and respond to proton pump inhibitors. The long-term effects of the implant are unknown.

What are the long-term complications of GERD?

Sometimes GERD can cause serious complications. Inflammation of the esophagus from stomach acid causes bleeding or ulcers. In addition, scars from tissue damage can narrow the esophagus and make swallowing difficult. Some people develop Barrett's esophagus, where cells in the esophageal lining take on an abnormal shape and color, which over time can lead to cancer.

Also, studies have shown that asthma, chronic cough, and pulmonary fibrosis may be aggravated or even caused by GERD.
For information about Barrett's esophagus, please see the Barrett's Esophagus fact sheet from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Points to Remember
- Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is the most common symptom of GERD. Anyone experiencing heartburn twice a week or more may have GERD.
- You can have GERD without having heartburn. Your symptoms could be excessive clearing of the throat, problems swallowing, the feeling that food is stuck in your throat, burning in the mouth, or pain in the chest.
- In infants and children, GERD may cause repeated vomiting, coughing, and other respiratory problems. Most babies grow out of GERD by their first birthday.
- If you have been using antacids for more than 2 weeks, it is time to see a doctor. Most doctors can treat GERD. Or you may want to visit an internist—a doctor who specializes in internal medicine—or a gastroenterologist—a doctor who treats diseases of the stomach and intestines.
- Doctors usually recommend lifestyle and dietary changes to relieve heartburn. Many people with GERD also need medication. Surgery may be an option.
  
  Hope Through Research
  
  No one knows why some people who have heartburn develop GERD. Several factors may be involved, and research is under way on many levels. Risk factors—what makes some people get GERD but not others—are being explored, as is GERD's role in other conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.
  
  The role of hiatal hernia in GERD continues to be debated and explored. It is a complex topic because some people have a hiatal hernia without having reflux, while others have reflux without having a hernia.
  
  Much research is needed into the role of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Our ability to eliminate H. pylori has been responsible for reduced rates of peptic ulcer disease and some gastric cancers. At the same time, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and cancers of the esophagus have increased. Researchers wonder whether having H. pylori helps prevent GERD and other diseases. Future treatment will be greatly affected by the results of this research.
  
  For More Information
  
  American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
  4900-B South 31st Street
  Arlington, VA 22206–1656
  Phone: 703–820–7400
  Fax: 703–931–4520
  Internet: www.acg.gi.org
  
  American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  National Office
  4930 Del Ray Avenue
  Bethesda, MD 20814
  Phone: 301–654–2055
  Fax: 301–652–3890
  Email: webinfo@gastro.org
  Internet: www.gastro.org
  
  International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) Inc.
  P.O. Box 170864
  Milwaukee, WI 53217–8076
  Phone: 1–888–964–2001 or 414–964–1799
  Fax: 414–964–7176
  Email: iffgd@iffgd.org
  Internet: www.aboutgerd.org
  
  North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)
  P.O. Box 6
  Flourtown, PA 19031
  Phone: 215–233–0808
  Fax: 215–233–3939
  Email: naspghan@naspghan.org
  Internet: www.naspghan.org
  
  Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association Inc. (PAGER)
  P.O. Box 1153
  Germantown, MD 20875–1153
  Phone: 301–601–9541
  Email: gergroup@aol.com
  Internet: www.reflux.org
  
  End of Gastro........

Diagnosing that reason for an upset stomach
(can lead you to the correct treatment.)

Many people live with stomach ailments. Whether the problem be temporary or an everyday thing, knowing what the cause and treatment are can be extremely helpful. Some ailments are easy to recognize while others may require a visit to the doctor for a correct diagnosis. Treatments vary for the different problems, and most are easily treated at home.

Some of the most common ailments tend to be constipation, gas, diarrhea, heartburn, and nausea. Most people experience one or more of these on a regular basis. It is advised that if you experience any one of these for a prolonged period, you should consult with your physician.

Constipation is defined as hard, difficult to pass stools. You may feel as if you still have to go even though you just went. Constipation is usually a result of the lifestyle you lead. Eating the wrong types of foods, drinking too little water, and too little exercise are all to blame. Many times, vitamins and other drugs can cause this condition, too. There are many things you can do at home to remedy constipation. Try to avoid laxatives unless recommended by your physician. You can become dependant on them. Eat more fiber or take a fiber supplement. Fiber adds bulk to your stool making it easier to pass. Change you diet. Stay away from greasy, high fat foods as well as coffee and alcohol. And, when in doubt, do not hesitate to contact your doctor.

Gas is also a big complain in the world of stomach ailments. Gas is a natural part of your digestive process. Often caused by the air you swallow, or foods you eat. High fiber foods can create large amounts of gas in some. These foods include beans and some fruits and vegetables. Try an over the counter medication if the situation warrants. Otherwise, you can try a cup of hot tea. Peppermint and chamomile work well to help relieve gas pains. Or, you can try lying on your back and pulling your legs up towards your chest. The pressure from your legs on your stomach will help to move gas through the digestive tract, making it easier to pass.

Diarrhea is defined as loose, watery stools that occur frequently. You may suffer abdominal cramping and pain as well. Diarrhea can be caused by a number of things. More often than not, it is usually brought on by something you ate. Medications, stress, and food poisonings are also culprits. Diarrhea can cause dehydration if you are not careful. Be sure to drink plenty of clear fluids to avoid this. Allow your body time to expel whatever was irritating it before you resolve to taking an over the counter medication. Call your doctor, if diarrhea lasts more than 48 hours.

Heartburn occurs in more than 25 million Americans daily. It is caused by acid in the stomach backing up into the esophagus, causing excruciating pain in some. Staying away from food that you know irritates you is important. If you need to take an over the counter remedy, there are many available. However, if you have heartburn consistently and find yourself regularly relying on store bought medications, you should see your physician for further treatment.

Nausea is defined as having a headache with weakness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Vomiting may also accompany any of these symptoms. Causes may include food poisoning, ulcers, medications, or a bout of the stomach flu. Pregnancy is another culprit. Seek the advice of your physician if you are pregnant and experiencing nausea. They can recommend the appropriate treatment for your condition. First and foremost you will need rest. Try to keep hydrated. Don't eat anything if you can't handle it. However, once you are up to it, stick to bland foods, such as toast, rice, and clear soups. If you would like to try an over the counter medication, there are many available. Ask your pharmacist what medication may help you most.

These are only a few of the many stomach ailments out there. There are many more serious conditions that warrant a trip to the doctor before trying home treatment. These include but are not limited to ulcers, lactose intolerance, and irritable bowel syndrome.

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	Welcome to Brian Nelson's Compendium on upset stomach. It also provides information about frequently asked questions on problems with up-set stomach vomiting, heart burn, constipation, reflux oesophagitis, irritable bowel, motion sickness and nausea. Effective 9-1-06 Unique Google search word to this page is "________ " ( _____1 rev.)

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Disclaimer of Endorsement

What if symptoms persist?

Nausea and Vomiting

Definition

Overview & Considerations

Nausea and Bananas

Information

How to Recognize and Treat Upset Stomach and Heartburn\By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

Disclaimer

Copyright Status

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

What are the symptoms of GERD?

GERD in Children

What causes GERD?

How is GERD treated?

Lifestyle Changes

What if symptoms persist?

Surgery

Implant

What are the long-term complications of GERD?

Points to Remember

Hope Through Research

For More Information

Diagnosing that reason for an upset stomach
(can lead you to the correct treatment.)

Nausea and Vomiting

Definition

Overview & Considerations

Nausea and Bananas

Information

How to Recognize and Treat Upset Stomach and Heartburn\By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

Disclaimer

Copyright Status

Disclaimer of Endorsement

What if symptoms persist?

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

What are the symptoms of GERD?

GERD in Children

What causes GERD?

How is GERD treated?

Lifestyle Changes

What if symptoms persist?

Surgery

Implant

What are the long-term complications of GERD?

Points to Remember

Hope Through Research

For More Information

Diagnosing that reason for an upset stomach (can lead you to the correct treatment.)

Diagnosing that reason for an upset stomach
(can lead you to the correct treatment.)