Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a digestive disorder that occurs when acidic stomach juices, or food and fluids back up from the stomach into the esophagus. GERD affects people of all ages—from infants to older adults. GERD is a commonly found disorder that has a significant impact on the daily life of many people. According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, people suffering from GERD symptoms are absent from work for 16% of each year, representing $21 billion in costs or 1.7 billion hours of lost productivity annually. On average, five million Canadians experience heartburn and/or acid regurgitation at least once each week.
The main symptom of GERD is heartburn. Heartburn is an uncomfortable feeling behind the breastbone that is often described as a burning sensation. Symptoms can get worse after a meal, and if a patient lies down or bends over.
Symptoms that can result from GERD:
- nausea
- acid-induced erosions of the teeth
- regurgitation
- hoarseness
- ear pain
- nausea
- laryngitis
- chronic cough
If left untreated, there is a possibility for GERD to exacerbate other conditions. You can take important steps to prevent and treat the symptoms of GERD to lower the chance of complications. For this purpose, your doctor might encourage you to make changes to your lifestyle and diet. In some cases, GERD is treated with over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs (for example antacids, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), pro-motility drugs), and surgery.
Care.Wallet can be configured to help patients with GERD to diagnose and treat their condition. Anyone experiencing frequent acid reflux should seek a consultation with their doctor. Care.Wallet can help to schedule both, in-office and virtual appointments, with only a few clicks. Moreover, medical transportation can be also booked directly via the App in case a patient needs to go to a medical facility. If during the visit GERD was diagnosed, a doctor can create and manage a prescription directly in the Care.Wallet. In more serious cases, a physician may refer the patient to a specialist in gut medicine known as a gastroenterologist for further investigation. This can be done via Care.Wallet, together with sharing the patient’s health data.
Being a powerful symptoms management tool, Care.Wallet can help patients with GERD to record and share their symptoms with a doctor. Based on the information the specialist will be able to make changes to treatment or recommend further changes in the diet and lifestyle in real-time. Also, a doctor can check the patient’s health status by sending How Are You Feeling Today cards. Care.Wallet will also contain information about GERD and health tips that can help patients educate themselves about lifestyle changes required to treat their symptoms. Medical professionals, patients’ close friends, and their relatives can also support the patient in treatment and help implement any lifestyle changes by joining their Care.Circle.
Care.Wallet is the ultimate solution that helps improve healthcare accessibility, efficiency, and outcomes and available for doctors and patients worldwide. If you enjoyed this article, do take a look at our previous article Preeclampsia in the US.
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