Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal reflux disease

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Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal reflux disease

If you have the typical symptoms of GORD and acid reflux, you will usually not need to have any tests. Your GP will diagnose you from your description of your symptoms.

If you have severe or unusual symptoms, or if they do not get better when treatment is started, you may need to have some tests. These may include:

Endoscopy. A thin tube with a microscope on the end is passed down the oesophagus towards the stomach. It enables doctors to see whether the inside of your oesophagus is red and inflamed.
Acidity test on the inside of the oesophagus. This can be done by passing a thin wire through your nose and into your oesophagus. The wire will measure how acidic your oesophagus is and record the results electronically.

You might have different tests to try to rule out other conditions such as heart problems, peptic ulcers or hiatus hernias. These tests might include X-ray, ultrasound scans, or monitoring of your heartbeat.