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Types of Sleeping Disorders
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Sleeping Problems (Home) > Types of Sleeping Disorders > Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD):Information, Symptoms and Causes
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated awakenings during the night due to unpleasant burning and choking sensations resulting from stomach acid flowing upward into the throat while asleep.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of GERD in may include one or more of the following: Chronic chest pain
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Esophagitis (reflux esophagitis)
- Inflammatory changes in the esophageal lining (mucosa)
- Strictures
Less commonly, other symptoms of GERD may include one or more of the following:
- Changes of the voice
- Chronic ear ache or sinusitis
- Cough
- Hoarseness
In children and infants, GERD may be difficult to detect. Symptoms may include any of the symptoms above as well as one or more of the following:
- Bad breath
- Coughing and other respiratory problems
- Effortless spitting up
- Failure to gain adequate weight
- Inconsolable crying
- Refusing food
- Repeated vomiting
Causes
GERD can be caused by a range of factors, including:
Heartburn, which is the major symptom of acid in the esophagus, is characterized by a burning discomfort behind the breastbone (sternum). Occasional heartburn is common but does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Patients that have heartburn symptoms more than once a week are thought to be at risk of developing GERD. Increased acidity or production of gastric acid can contribute to the problem. Incompetence of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) or transient LES relaxation
- Hiatal hernia
- Being overweight or obese
- Wearing tight-fitting clothes
- Pregnancy
- Yeast infections of the digestive tract can cause GERD-like symptoms
- Sleeping on your stomach / front, instead of your side or back
The immature digestive systems in infants are usually the cause of their GERD-like symptoms, and most infants stop having acid reflux by the time they reach their first birthday. Some children don't outgrow acid reflux, however, and continue to have it into their teen years. Children that have had heartburn that doesn't seem to go away, or any other symptoms of GERD for a while, should talk to their parents and visit their doctor.
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Random Sleeping Tip |
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| It is really important that when you are planning to go to sleep at a specific time that you do not think about the problems and the worries that you have gone through during the day or you will be facing the next morning. It is really important that you keep your mind free of any worries and that you do not need to go through those worries again and again. This will make you anxious and will not allow you to sleep until you dose off at one point in time, which will just disrupt your routines and you will be pretty much tired when you will get up in the morning. |
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