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Differential GERD diagnosis secrets shine the light on misdiagnosing GERD. Listen up. Large surveys have shown that about half of the general population has monthly heartburn or regurgitation. What that means is that GERD is likely the most common gastrointestinal disease seen in primary care. GERD can be very painful and is debilitating in severe cases. What happens is that the lower esophageal muscle or sphincter opens the wrong way allowing gastric acids to back flow up the esophagus. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus has no defense against gastric acids.

This is hard to believe, but most GERD patients wait one to three years before consulting a physician.

Folks, this is a very treatable disease.

Differential Diagnosis of GERD

A differential diagnosis of GERD occurs when a physician misdiagnoses the condition. Put differently they assure the patient that they have a problem other than GERD when actually GERD is the imminent problem. This is a common happening, as the symptoms of GERD are so wide spread that they link up to a myriad of other health circumstances as well.

Pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. A differential diagnosis of GERD can be life threatening, particularly if the condition is already quite severe in the first place. Not only will the patient have to cope with the anguish of the disease but also it can in reality cause an attack of various other diseases.

When to Call the Physician

Let's face it, it is absolutely critical to get assistance for a condition such as GERD as soon as you can, and so if you ever start feeling any of the symptoms of GERD, such as:

* Asthma
* Trouble swallowing
* Chronic dry cough
* Heartburn
* Dyspepsia
* Chest pain
* Nausea
* Hiccups
* Regurgitation
* Dysphagia
* Hoarseness

This is when you call the physician. Don't wait for three years to do this. Your health is crucial to your well being.

Likewise make certain that you don't experience a differential diagnosis of GERD, and lets face it a differential diagnosis of GERD can go in either direction.

Mistakes

Either you may be assured that you have GERD while you actually don't, or you may have GERD and your physician might suppose that you have different health conditions. They are human. They make mistakes. In order to make certain that you get an appropriate diagnosis, you'll need to do a lot of exploring on one's own. Naturally your physician is a medical professional and generally knows his Ps from his Qs, but anyone can make a mistake and misdiagnosis can be the result.

Diary

Keep a diary. List the different conditions and symptoms under which GERD occurs. Make sure that you check the list to determine whether there is improvement or a decline in the conditions or symptoms that you are experiencing. Then, it is possible to ascertain whether the diagnosis you are receiving is a misdiagnosis or not. Differential GERD diagnosis secrets should be no secret when GERD is involved. Take appropriate action by working with your physician to achieve the best treatment possible to get you back on your feet.