How to Diagnose Acid Reflux

Video Transcript

"Hello I'm Dr. Miguel Rodriguez. I'm a gastroenterologist with Miami Gastroenterology Consultants in Miami, Florida. The way that we diagnose acid reflux will have to do, based number one, obtaining a good clinical history. We also may decide at the time of the initial visit by the patient based usually on the severity of the symptoms if a therapeutic trial with a medication to treat acid reflux is warranted and if there is improvement, there you have your diagnosis. Or you can choose endoscopic modalities or x-rays that will help us determine if there is acid reflux, damage to the lining of the esophagus and the stomach and by doing this we can gauge the severity of the process and how aggressive the treatment ought to be and if other medications are required, particularly in order to facilitate the emptying of the stomach and increase the amount of the time in which the acid, increase the acid exposure time. Based on all these things, the diagnosis can be made fairly easy."