Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Our bodies contain many different organs, functions, and systems that assist our bodies in maintaining homeostasis. The digestive system breaks down food into nutrients allowing the body to use it for energy, growth, or cell repair. The digestive system consists of organs such as the small intestine, large intestine, esophagus, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Once food goes through your mouth it goes to the esophagus which helps pass the food into the stomach, the stomach breaks down the food further through its acidic environment involving an enzyme called pepsin proceeding into the chemical digestion of proteins. The stomach’s muscular walls push the food throughout the small intestine. The small intestine propels the food deeper into the large intestine through the process peristalsis. The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder have different purposes to aid the small intestine while digesting the food. The pancreas produces enzymes which digest carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; the liver produces bile to help break down fats, and finally if extra bile is produced it will end

GER is a type of acid reflux where the stomach contents come back up through your esophagus resulting in heartburn. GERD can disrupt homeostasis since normally the esophagus is designed to close off, causing contents such as food and water to stay in the stomach once they arrived. However, occasionally a muscle in the esophagus doesn’t function properly, thus resulting the stomach contents to travel back through the esophagus. This causes your body’s internal environment to feel symptoms like heartburn or feel ill. These conditions can be treated depending on how severe the symptoms are. Treatments would include medicine, lifestyle changes such as keeping away from certain foods, or even