Esophageal pH Monitoring Center - Nashua, NH
Nashua Gastroenterologist Doctors for Esophageal pH MonitoringType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Nashua * Mark L Mallek MD  Richard C Dai MD  Dennis Shea MD  Londonderry Gastroenterology Associates  New Hampshire Gastroenterology  New Hampshire Gastroenterology Inc  Knut J Roalsvig MD  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Northeast Gastroenterology Associates  Emil K Karagiannis MD  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Manchester  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Concord Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Seacoast Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology PA  Gastroenterology Professional Associates  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Gastroenterology  Carroll County Gastroenterology  Associates in Surgery & Gastroenterology  Associates in Surgery & Gastroenterology  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  Brian S Berk MD  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department  DHMC Gastroenterology Department Nashua, New HampshireUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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Esophageal pH MonitoringRead the Esophageal pH Monitoring article » What is esophageal pH monitoring?Esophageal pH (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution) monitoring is a procedure for measuring the reflux (regurgitation or backwash) of acid from the stomach into the esophagus that occurs in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When is esophageal pH monitoring used?Esophageal pH monitoring is used to diagnose GERD effects, to determine the effectiveness of medications that are given to prevent acid reflux, and to determine if episodes of acidic reflux are causing episodes of chest pain. Monitoring esophageal pH also can be used to determine if acid is reaching the pharynx (lower throat) and is possibly responsible for such symptoms as cough, hoarseness, and sore throat.
How is esophageal pH monitoring performed?Esophageal pH monitoring is performed by passing a thin plastic catheter a sixteenth of an inch in diameter through one nostril, down the back of the throat, and into the esophagus as the patient swallows. The tip of the catheter contains a sensor that senses acid. The sensor is positioned in the esophagus so that it is just above the lower esophageal sphincter, a specialized area of esophageal muscle that lies at the junction of the esophagus and stomach and prevents acid from refluxing back up into the esophagus. In this position the sensor records each reflux of acid. The catheter protruding from the nose is connected to a recorder that registers each reflux of acid. The patient is sent home with the catheter and recorder in place and returns the next day to have them removed. During the 24 hours that the catheter is in place, the patient goes about his or her usual activities, for example, eating, sleeping, and working. Meals, periods of sleep, and symptoms are recorded by the patient in a diary and/or by pushing buttons on the recorder. After the catheter is removed, the recorder ... Recommended Reading Related to Esophageal pH MonitoringWhy does reflux laryngitis occur?Reflux is caused by weakness in the muscle at the junction of the esophagus with the stomach. Normally, this muscular valve, or sphincter, functions to keep food and stomach acid from moving upward from the stomach to the esophagus and larynx. This valve opens to allow food into the stomach and closes to keep the stomach's contents from coming back up. The backward movement of stomach contents (gastric contents) up into the esophagus is referred to as gastroesophageal reflux. Additionally, any increase in abdominal pressure (such as obesity), which can push acid back from the stomach up the esophagus, or a patient with a hiatal hernia, will have an increased risk for reflux. When it causes symptoms, it is referred to as gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD). When the acid backs up into the voice box (larynx), the condition is referred to as reflux laryngitis. Stomach acid can cause irritati... Other Related Esophageal pH Monitoring ArticlesEmergency Contact for Nashua
Nearby Nashua Hospitals *Southern New Hampshire Medical Center St Joseph Hospital HC Solomon Mental Health Center Lowell General Hospital Parkland Medical Center Saints Medical Center Nashoba Valley Medical Center Northeast Rehabilitation Health Network Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center Elliot Hospital Tewksbury Hospital Catholic Medical Center Lawrence General Hospital Hampstead Hospital Manchester VA Medical Center Isham Health Center Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Haverhill Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital Health Alliance Burbank Hospital Emerson Hospital Merrimack Valley Hospital HealthAlliance Hospital Leominster Campus Lahey Clinic Medical Center Baldpate Hospital Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital Monadnock Community Hospital UMass Memorial Clinton Hospital Winchester Hospital UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital McLean Hospital Heywood Hospital Melrose Wakefield Hospital Lawrence Memorial Hospital Anna Jaques Hospital New Hampshire Hospital North Shore Medical Center Concord Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital Exeter Hospital Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore  Somerville Hospital  Mount Auburn Hospital  Newton Wellesley Hospital  Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center  Cambridge Hospital  Westborough State Hospital  Whidden Memorial Hospital  Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center  Franciscan Hospital for Children  Beverly Hospital  Kindred Hospital Boston  MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital  North Shore Children's Hospital  Salem Hospital & the Birthplace  Arbour HRI Hospital  Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital  Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital  M I T Medical  Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick  MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital  Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital  Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough  Massachusetts General Hospital  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary  Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Children's Hospital Boston  Dana Farber Cancer Institute  Brigham & Women's Hospital  New England Baptist Hospital  VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus  Tufts New England Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Esophageal pH Monitoring by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which the acidified liquid contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The symptoms of uncomplicated GERD are heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea. Effective treatment is available for most patients with GERD.
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Chronic Cough
- Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
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Esophagitis
- Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation of the esophagus. Infections that cause esophagitis include candida yeast infection of the esophagus as well as herpes.
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Hoarseness
- Hoarseness (abnormal deep, harsh, raspy voice) is caused by a variety of conditions in which the larynx (voice box and vocal chords) are irritated or injured. Examples of causes of hoarseness include: laryngitis, straining the vocal cords by yelling or screaming, infections, GERD, allergies, and more. Treatment of hoarseness depends on the cause.
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The Digestive System
- Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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Reflux Laryngitis
- Acid backing up into the larynx (voice box), it causes reflux laryngitis. Irritation of the lining of the esophagus, larynx, and throat can lead to esophagitis, sinusitis, strictures, hoarseness, throat clearing, swallowing problems, asthma, chronic cough, and more. Typical symptoms of reflux laryngitis include heartburn, hoarseness, or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Reflux laryngitis can be treated with OTC medication, prescription medication, and lifestyle changes.
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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Doctor's & Expert's Views
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