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| Word |
Description |
| Antacids |
Drugs used for indigestion and heartburn that neutralize stomach acid. |
| Baby Led Weaning |
Baby-led weaning (often also referred to as BLW) is a method of gradually weaning a baby from a milk diet onto solid foods. It allows a baby to control his or her solid food intake by self-feeding from the very beginning of the weaning process.
Infants are offered a range of foods to provide a balanced diet from around 6 months. They often begin by picking up and licking the food, before progressing to eating. Babies typically begin self feeding around 6 months, although some will reach for food as early as 5 months and some will wait until 7 or 8. The intention of this process is that it is tailored to suit each particular baby and their personal development. The 6 month guideline provided by the World Health Organisation is based on research indicating the internal digestive system matures over the period 4-6 months. It seems reasonable to posit that the gut matures in tandem with the baby's external faculties to self feed.
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| Barium Oesophagram (upper GI) |
A test in which the patient swallows a chalky, nonradioactive liquid containing barium. The barium coats the digestive tract and emphasizes the contours on x-ray. It can show narrowing of the oesophagus and other structural abnormalities. |
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An abnormality of the cells lining the oesophagus (oesophageal epithelium) in which they are altered so that they become columnar, thus resembling the lining of the stomach. |
| Dysphagia |
Difficulty in swallowing. |
| Eithelium |
The purely cellular layer covering all the free surfaces of the body: cutaneous (skin), mucous, and serous. |
| Endoscopy |
A diagnostic test in which a thin, flexible tube carrying a fiberoptic cable is swallowed by the patient to allow the physician to directly inspect the lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract. |
| Erosion |
A shallow break in the esophagus limited to the mucosa. |
| Gastric Emptying |
The process of the stomach emptying |
| Gastroenterologist |
A doctor who specializes in treating problems and diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, colon, liver, and pancreas. |
| Gastroesophageal Reflux |
Regurgitation of the stomach contents into the esophagus. |
| Gavage-Fed |
Gavage feeding is a way to feed babies who are not able to suck or swallow enough for
good nutrition. Your baby may have a problem with his heart, esophagus (feeding canal),
or mouth-such as a cleft palate or with breathing or lungs; or he may not be able to suck
and/or swallow well. Most babies are able to eat normally after their medical problems
improve. it involves placing a feeding tube in the nose (nasal) through the oesophagus and into the stomach. |
| GORD (GastroOesophageal Reflux Disease) |
Chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the oesophagus. |
| Heartburn |
A burning sensation, usually centered in the middle of the chest near the sternum, caused by the reflux of acidic stomach fluids that enter the lower end of the oesophagus. Also called acid reflux, cardialgia,
pyrosis. |
| Hiatus hernia |
A hiatus hernia or hiatal hernia is the protrusion (or herniation) of the upper part of the stomach into the thorax through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm. |
| Histamine2-Receptor Antagonist (H2-RA) |
A class of medications that decrease stomach acid by preventing histamine from stimulating the stomach to produce acid. |
| Infant Gaviscon |
Gaviscon Infant contains two active ingredients, sodium alginate and magnesium alginate. These are naturally occurring substances that are found in a particular type of seaweed. Alginates act locally in the stomach to physically prevent the contents of the stomach from flowing back into the food pipe (reflux) and being regurgitated. |
| L E S |
The lower oesophageal sphincter. The muscular ring where the oesophagus meets the stomach. Its function is to keep stomach juices from flowing up into the oesophagus. |
| Mucosal |
The inner lining of a tubular structure or hollow organ. |
| Mucosal Protective Agents |
Medications that create a protective barrier on the lining of the oesophagus to protect it from stomach acid. |
| Oesophageal pH monitoring |
This test determines the severity of acid reflux, including the amount of acidity and the time acid remains in the oesophagus.
There are two types of pH monitoring tests. In the first, a tiny tube is inserted through the nose and into the oesophagus. An acid monitor at the end of the tube measures and records the acid levels in the oesophagus for 24 hours. In the second, a pH monitor is clipped into the oesophagus by endoscopy and records the pH up to a 48-hour period. |
| Oesophagitis |
Inflammation of the oesophagus. |
| Oesophagus |
The tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach. |
| Parietal Cell |
A cell found within the stomach lumen that secretes hydrochloric acid. |
| Pepsin |
The principal digestive enzyme of the gastric juices. |
| Peristalsis (Oesophageal) |
The movement of the oesophagus, induced by swallowing, in which waves of alternate circular contraction and relaxation propel the contents onward. |
| Primary Peristalsis (Oeosophageal) |
Peristalsis that occurs in response to a swallow, and usually travels the full length of the oesophagus. |
| Promotility Agent |
Medications that increase the lower oesophageal sphincter pressure, increase stomach emptying, and stimulate the oesophagus to contract more often and with more power. |
| Proton Pump Inhibitor |
A class of medications that block the final step in stomach acid production. |
| Reflux |
The backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus. |
| Regurgitation |
The backflow of swallowed food or drink into the throat or mouth. |
| Secondary Peristalsis (Oesophageal) |
Peristalsis that originates in the oesophagus in response to oesophageal stimulation (distention or irritation), as opposed to that initiated by swallowing. The wave of contractions originates at the site of stimulation and extends to the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES). |
| Sphincter |
A ring-like band of muscle that can tighten to narrow or close off a tube or an orifice. |
| Ulcer |
A slow-healing open sore in which tissue breaks down. |
| Water Brash |
Vagally mediated excessive salivation that results from oesophageal acidification during reflux. |
