Question

As a health professional which dietary and lifestyle changes would you recommend for a person with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). To make it more challenging select your patient from those listed below and discuss your nutrition counseling session. Your make believe patient wants to change but cannot change their whole lifestyle tomorrow. Share what your mock patient is willing to do and what you recommend. This is what you will be doing everyday in your career helping others make healthy lifestyle choices through negotiation and education! Be sure to review other students entries and respond as appropriate.

Select your patient and begin:

A pregnant woman, An overweight bachelor who eats fast foods and says he does not know how to cook,

An overweight patient with diabetes, A patient preparing for gastric bypass.

A depressed, overweight adult man or woman

Answer 1

Ans) A pregnant women:

- Most pregnant women have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), especially heartburn, at some point. These symptoms may start at any time during a pregnancy. And they often get worse throughout the pregnancy.

- Heartburn is common when you are pregnant. That's because hormones cause the digestive system to slow down.

- The muscles that push food down the esophagus also move more slowly when you are pregnant.

Lifestyle changes for this condition:

• Change your eating habits.
  • It's best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
  • After you eat, wait 2 to 3 hours before you lie down. Late-night snacks aren't a good idea.
  • Chocolate and mint can make GERD worse. They relax the valve between the esophagus and the stomach.
  • Spicy foods, foods that have a lot of acid (like tomatoes and oranges), and coffee can make GERD symptoms worse in some people. If your symptoms are worse after you eat a certain food, you may want to stop eating that food to see if your symptoms get better.
• Do not smoke or chew tobacco.
• If you have GERD symptoms at night, raise the head of your bed 6 in. (15 cm) to 8 in. (20 cm) by putting the frame on blocks or placing a foam wedge under the head of your mattress. (Adding extra pillows does not work.)
• Try over-the-counter antacids for heartburn symptoms.
  • Be careful when you take over-the-counter antacid medicines. Many of these medicines have aspirin in them. While you are pregnant, do not take aspirin or medicines that contain aspirin unless your doctor says it is okay.
  • During pregnancy, do not use antacids that have sodium bicarbonate (such as baking soda), because they can cause fluid buildup. Do not use antacids that have magnesium trisilicate, because they may not be safe for your baby. It is okay to use antacids that have calcium carbonate (such as Tums).

- And as the uterus grows, it pushes on the stomach. This can sometimes force stomach acid up into the esophagus.

- GERD symptoms are common during pregnancy.