Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Illness or illusion?

Hungin, A.P.

doi:10.3399/bjgp15x685993

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Illness or illusion?

Hungin, A.P.

Authors

A.P. Hungin

Abstract

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is well entrenched in the clinician’s mind. But, is it a spurious or artificial concept and what do we actually know about it? There are just too many things that don’t add up. When communicating with patients most doctors still cite the traditional concepts relating to GORD, that it is related to one or more of the following: ‘excessive acid’ into the oesophagus; ‘failure of the valve’ at the gastro-oesophageal junction; ‘delayed gastric emptying’; and ‘damage’ at the lower oesophagus. Regrettably, none of these holds true. And, as clinicians who base our explanatory models on what we construct for our patients we are almost certainly on the wrong track.

Citation

Hungin, A. (2015). Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Illness or illusion?. British Journal of General Practice, 65(637), 392-393. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp15x685993

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Aug 1, 2015
Publication Date	Aug 1, 2015
Deposit Date	Jan 28, 2016
Publicly Available Date	Jan 29, 2016
Journal	British Journal of General Practice
Print ISSN	0960-1643
Electronic ISSN	1478-5242
Publisher	Royal College of General Practitioners
Peer Reviewed	Not Peer Reviewed
Volume	65
Issue	637
Pages	392-393
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp15x685993