The nurse is caring for a client with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and
ID: 134648 • Letter: T
Question
The nurse is caring for a client with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and provides client education on measures to decrease GERD. Which statement made by the client indicates a need for further teaching?
"I plan to eat 4 to 6 small meals a day."
"I should sleep in the right side-lying position."
"I plan to have a snack 1 hour before going to bed."
"I will stop having a glass of wine each evening with dinner."
1."I plan to eat 4 to 6 small meals a day."
2."I should sleep in the right side-lying position."
3."I plan to have a snack 1 hour before going to bed."
4."I will stop having a glass of wine each evening with dinner."
Explanation / Answer
GERD is a disease in which contents of the food comes back up in to the food pipe resulting in heartburn accompanied by other symptoms. For a patient suffering from GERD it is important to educate oneself on the do’s and don’ts. For the first option, it is good to eat 4-6 small meals in a day rather than having 3 large meals and agitating the esophagus further.
As for the second option, sleeping in the right position increases the reflux and heartburn. But the option to sleep for a GERD patient is by elevating the upper body by a couple of inches.
For the third option, planning to have a snack 1hour before sleeping is the worst-case scenario for GERD. It is best to eat at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. The stomach acid slips into the esophagus, and that’s more likely when lying in bed shortly after a meal as there is no gravity to help keep the digestive food in the stomach.
It is good to stop drinking alcohol in the dinnertime as it damages the mucosa in the esophagus. So it is advised to drink as low alcohol as possible.
The third statment by the client indicates the need for further education of the GERD.