Eating or drinking too much or too fast can cause symptoms. Eating certain foods or beverages such as spicy, fried, or greasy foods, or alcohol or carbonated drinks or lying down or going to sleep immediately after eating or drinking can worsen symptoms.
Treatment includes eating smaller, more frequent meals, avoiding foods that trigger symptoms, staying upright after eating, and not wearing tight-fitting clothing. Certain anatomical issues can interfere with your normal swallowing and digestion. These include esophageal stricture, hiatal hernia, or motility disorder. Rumination syndrome is a rare cause of regurgitation. It is more common in infants and those with developmental disabilities.
It can be thought of as a chronic cause of regurgitation. Symptoms occur daily and with almost every meal. It is caused by involuntary muscle contractions moving food backward. Treatment depends on the cause. The treatment of infants often focuses on teaching parents proper feeding positions and avoiding distractions during feeding. People with developmental disabilities may use behavior therapy such as diaphragmatic breathing and biofeedback. Although there is no medication to treat rumination syndrome, a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole Prilosec can be taken to protect the lining of the esophagus from stomach acid.
Are regurgitation and GERD the same thing? While symptoms can become very similar to gastroesophageal reflux GERD , they are not the same thing. Particularly if the symptoms of regurgitation are associated with difficulty swallowing, spasms, tremors, rigidity, numbness, or weakness.
Generally, you should not need to go to the emergency department for regurgitation. Questions may relate to diseases, illnesses, or conditions you may have or that may run in your family. Your answers will help us provide you with medical information and identify services that may be relevant to your health. Buoy Health uses reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards such as firewalls, encryption, identity management, and intrusion prevention and detection to protect your information.
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Health articles Chevron Icon. Featured topics. Symptom checker. Editorial standards. Who we serve Chevron Icon. Brokers and Consultants. Solutions Chevron Icon. Care Navigation. It requires mental health treatment. Regurgitation is common in infants and babies. However, some babies experience frequent regurgitation. This condition is characterized by frequent regurgitation more than once per day during the first year of life.
GERD can also affect infants, although not as commonly as it affects adults. Due to the short length of the esophagus, infants with GERD are more likely to experience regurgitation instead of just reflux.
Symptoms of regurgitation vary based on the underlying cause. Pay attention to specific symptoms when it comes to regurgitation in babies. Many of the symptoms that accompany regurgitation are due to the conditions that cause regurgitation, such as acid reflux and GERD. Symptoms of acid reflux and GERD include:. When regurgitation happens frequently on its own without the other symptoms of acid reflux or GERD, it may be rumination syndrome. Due to the size of the esophagus in infants and babies, regurgitation is common in the early years of life.
There are usually no other symptoms that accompany this condition outside of the regurgitation. However, if the regurgitation is a symptom of GERD, it may be accompanied by:. If you notice your infant is having other symptoms, it may be an indicator of a more serious condition.
Watch out for:. However, because GERD requires long-term dietary and lifestyle management, your doctor may want to perform some diagnostic tests. These tests can help your doctor determine the extent of esophageal damage and complications due to GERD.
To diagnose rumination syndrome, your doctor will first eliminate the possibility of other conditions, such as GERD. Additional testing may be necessary, including an EGD test and gastric emptying test. These tests look for any blockages or slowed transit time that may be causing the frequent regurgitation. One case study demonstrated that hour impedance pH monitoring is also an effective way to diagnose rumination syndrome. However, if there are no additional symptoms, a diagnosis can be made if the regurgitation occurs at least twice daily for 3 weeks during the first year of life.
Examples of these activities include sneezing, coughing, and bearing down to push out a bowel movement. Some infants are more sensitive to their surroundings than other infants.
For infants with sensitive temperaments, feedings are more likely to go well in a calm, relaxing, uninterrupted setting. In families with lots of children or other disruptive factors , it is best that caretaker and infant excuse themselves for 20 minutes, and go to a quiet room with dim lighting and soft, pleasant sounds.
The goal is to soothe the infant, and provide comfort. Several studies proved that formula thickened with cereal helps infants to nap longer, cry less, and have fewer spit ups. Thickening formula with rice cereal may cause constipation. With overfeeding, the infant may become uncomfortable, and learn that regurgitation will make the abdominal discomfort disappear promptly.
Despite millions of research dollars invested by multiple drug companies to determine whether their drugs might help, no drug has been proven to reduce spitting up in infant regurgitation. However, fundoplication is unnecessary for functional infant regurgitation, which will resolve spontaneously by the end of the first year of life.
Infant regurgitation is a common, passing, harmless functional symptom. A clinician provides reassurance of this when listening with empathy. As far as we know, infant regurgitation has no permanent consequences.
It does not cause any problems later on in life. IFFGD is a nonprofit education and research organization. Our mission is to inform, assist, and support people affected by gastrointestinal disorders. Our original content is authored specifically for IFFGD readers, in response to your questions and concerns. If you found this article helpful, please consider supporting IFFGD with a small tax-deductible donation.
He was born 2 months premature. When it was time to start. Children or adolescents who have bowel disorders need help. This information is in no way intended to replace the guidance of your doctor. All Rights Reserved. About Kids GI. Infant Regurgitation. What is infant regurgitation?
Is infant regurgitation normal? Functional infant regurgitation has been defined by an international group of experts, the Pediatric Rome Working Team, as consisting of: at least 3 weeks of regurgitation of stomach contents, at least twice daily during infancy, the first year of life. Should I worry if my infant regurgitates? Common problems due to GERD include: Recurrent aspiration inhaling of refluxed material into the lungs Inflammation in the esophagus, causing pain, food refusal, or bleeding and anemia low red blood cell counts Failure to gain weight appropriately Some clinicians believe that too much reflux can also cause sinusitis and ear infections.
Obesity is linked to GERD. Maintaining a healthy body weight may help prevent the condition. The role of endoscopy in the management of GERD. Gastrointest Endosc. PMID: pubmed. Diseases of the esophagus. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Updated July Accessed May 26, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.
Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Updated by: Michael M. Editorial team. Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
The risk factors for reflux include: Use of alcohol possibly Hiatal hernia a condition in which part of the stomach moves above the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities Obesity Pregnancy Scleroderma Smoking Reclining within 3 hours after eating Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux can be brought on or made worse by pregnancy.
Symptoms can also be caused by certain medicines, such as: Anticholinergics for example, sea sickness medicine Bronchodilators for asthma Calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure Dopamine-active drugs for Parkinson disease Progestin for abnormal menstrual bleeding or birth control Sedatives for insomnia or anxiety Tricyclic antidepressants Talk to your health care provider if you think one of your medicines may be causing heartburn.
Watch this video about: Heartburn. Common symptoms of GERD include: Feeling that food is stuck behind the breastbone Heartburn or a burning pain in the chest Nausea after eating Less common symptoms are: Bringing food back up regurgitation Cough or wheezing Difficulty swallowing Hiccups Hoarseness or change in voice Sore throat Symptoms may get worse when you bend over or lie down, or after you eat.
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