Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during pregnancy

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Pregnancy is often accompanied by the development of additional diseases that are not normally present. One of them is gastroesophageal reflux. With this disorder, a woman experiences a backflow of stomach contents into the end of the esophagus. This is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the chest area. Most often, this pathology occurs during pregnancy and progresses as the child is born. The “Other Gynecology” clinic provides medical care for GERD during pregnancy at reasonable prices.

Classification

Doctors distinguish two types of pathology in pregnant patients. They differ from each other in the state of the entire digestive tract, the degree and nature of the symptoms of the disease, as well as in the type of negative impact on the mucous membranes and the timing of the onset of symptoms.

Pathology is divided according to the nature of its course:

  • Acute reflux disease. Symptoms appear directly during pregnancy, and before that they are not present. Unpleasant sensations disappear after childbirth without consequences.
  • Chronic reflux disease. This type appears even before conception and lasts up to 3-4 months. This condition often leads to serious complications and therefore requires treatment.

GERD in pregnant women differs in the nature of the consequences for the mucous membranes of the esophagus:

  • Proceeds without esophagitis. The most common form, which is characterized by the absence of damage to mucous tissues and serious complications.
  • Proceeds with reflux esophagitis. This variety is the most dangerous for pregnant women, as it often leads to thinning of the esophageal tissue due to constant trauma to the mucous layers of the organ.

All these types and forms of pathology have similar symptoms. These disorders greatly complicate a woman’s life, even if there is no damage to the mucous layer.

Symptoms

During pregnancy, the stomach and esophagus shift slightly, so the disease that was present before conception may intensify. The discomfort due to reflux disease in non-pregnant and pregnant women is approximately the same.

Doctors identify the main symptoms of GERD:

  • a feeling of squeezing and burning inside the chest;
  • increased discomfort in the esophagus with sudden movements or in a lying position;
  • feeling of lack of oxygen in the lungs;
  • sour belching;
  • pain in the epigastric area;
  • feeling of a lump in the esophagus.

Due to exposure to acidic gastric juice, women may develop hoarseness, cough, sensitive tooth enamel, inflammation of the vocal cords, hiccups, bad breath, as well as pharyngitis or asthma.