Gastroesophageal Reflux how dangerous is it?

Question

i took my daughter to the er and they said she had gastroesophageal reflux. How serious is that and should i worry? She has an appointment with her doctor in two days.

Answer 1

It's unlikely to be serious.

But if it isn't treated, it will get worse and worse. It doesn't heal itself. Untreated, it will eventually severely restrict her diet, interfere with her sleep, cause her to take several medications daily, and increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Answer 2

It can be serious. Like mentioned by someone else, weight gain can becoe a problem as well as aspiration into the lungs. Once you see the Pediatrician, he may refer you to a Pediatric GI. Most likely, your daughter will be given Reglan (the most perscribed reflux med for children/babies) and something like Zantac. The Reglan actually heals the damage, and the Zantac eases the pain.

I know how scary this is for you. I didn't deal with reflux myself; but my daughter was born premature, and many preemies face reflux as an issue. I'm familar with this information b/c of support groups I belong to for preemies. The good news is, more often than not; babies outgrow the reflux within in the first year or so. I hope your daughter feels better soon and her appointments go ok. I wish your daughter the best.

Answer 3

I've lived with that for the past 8+ years. Prior to being diagnosed I went nearly 3 months with daily agonizing heartburn. And while the acid can cause scarring and increase the risk of cancer, it's not going to do any severe damage between now and two days from now. It is serious, if left untreated for years but not days. It'll be just fine. :)

Try over the counter antacids - they didn't make mine go away but they eased the discomfort. I know how much this stinks! Have her avoid caffiene, chocolate, acidic foods like tomatoes, etc and don't lay down right after eating! These things will help her feel better till she can see her dr and get medical advice about treatment and ways to get better.

I hope this helps!!

Answer 4

Depends on the baby & the severity of the reflux. There are two common problems: Poor weight gain/growth due to excessive vomiting, and respirtory problems due to aspirating her stomach contents. They're both very fixable by controlling the reflux through either drugs or surgery. If your baby isn't experiencing either of those, you might not even have to do anything about it, other than be forced to clean more often due to a baby who throws up all the time (not fun, i know).

Answer 5

What isn't serious for an adult can be for a baby I'm afraid. GERD can be very serious if not treated. Although sometimes it goes away by 4 or 5 months of age if it doesn't it can be very harmful or even fatal. If left untreated it can damage the lining of the esophagus or even cause breathing problems, hypopnea or even cessation of breathing.

Answer 6

No, it's uncomfortable, but it isn't usually serious. You don't say how old your daughter is. If she is very young, you may want to ensure that you don't put her down right after feeding. Your doctor will likely be able to prescribe something to neutrallize the stomach acids when they gurgle back up into the lower throat.

Answer 7

It is somewhat serious, its like what our reflux feels like to them. As with us, if untreated I am sure it can eat the lining of their esophagus, but that is over years. My little boy had it and I gave him his medicine but it never made it better so I just stopped, it went away when he was like 6 months but he spit up til he was 9 months. Sometimes changing formula can help.

Answer 8

I suppose that's true if you reveal the symptoms about GERD. This is a hard one to detect except for the chronic indigestion that comes with it. There are enough pills to take that cut the discomfort and nothing that can control GERD, except a fully digested last meal before bed time. Uncle Sam does not knowingly allow itself to inherit such problems. Once you become a member of the armed forces and the condition it so noted in your medical files, it becomes a VA problem for the rest of your life.

Answer 9

My husband had it, he was 6 weeks old and it was so bad they operated on him. He still got the scar only its huge now. Don't worry, they have much better resources now and they can do something about it. It's good that it is early.
Good Luck.

Answer 10

It can be dangerous if not treated. The acids that regurgitate up through the esophagus can erode the lining and cause cancer. It is easily treatable if diagnosed early with drugs like nexium and prilosec.