Acid Reflux (also called Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease, or GORD) is caused by a weak muscle in your oesophagus called the Lower Oesophageal Sphincter (LOS). The LOS is your body’s reflux barrier. Normally your reflux barrier acts like a one-way valve, allowing food and liquid to pass into the stomach, but preventing stomach contents from flowing back into the oesophagus. In people with reflux, the reflux barrier allows harmful acid and bile to flow back into the Oesophagus.
Join us for the OPA’s first Reflux Awareness Week! Here is our Patron, Fiona Wade, to tell you more... youtube.com/watch?v=TJgdray...
GET EDUCATED - about the symptoms and complications
We would like to educate people that Reflux disease is more than just heartburn and raise awareness of more symptoms. By using this symptom checker you can see how severe your symptoms are.
GET EVALUATED - to find out if you have GORD
The first and most important step in treating your reflux symptoms is to accurately diagnose the cause. There are a range of diagnostic tests available to understand your own individual case and we will be raising awareness of all the different tests and what to expect.
GET TREATED - Learn about treatment options for GORD
Once the cause of your symptoms have been established by your healthcare professional, there are a range of different treatment options available to you. We aim to raise awareness of these different options so you can have an informed conversation with your healthcare professional about what might be the best treatment for you.
Message from John Campolini (OPA Chair)
The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness of the symptoms of reflux disease and encourage people to seek an accurate diagnosis and treatment if necessary. Many people think that the only symptom of reflux disease is heartburn and whilst this is an important symptom, there are many, many more. Once you understand more about your symptoms, you can have an informed discussion with your GP or other medical professional about diagnostic tests and the different treatment options from lifestyle modifications to surgery. We know food and alcohol can be a reflux trigger for many people and as we enter the ‘season of excess’, we hope this campaign will raise awareness and encourage sufferers to take action to get treated for reflux. We hope this campaign will raise awareness and encourage sufferers to take action to get treated for reflux."
For more information, please visit opa.org.uk/gord-awareness/