24-Hour Esophageal pH Test
What is a 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test?
It’s an outpatient procedure used to measure the amount of acid that flows from the stomach into the esophagus during a day.
It’s often involved in the diagnosis of heartburn or GERD 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test.
24-Hour Esophageal pH Test:
- Is well-tolerated
- Non-invasive
- Is performed as an outpatient procedure
Your doctor will insert a small probe through your nostril and position it near the lower esophagus. The probe is plugged into a monitor which is worn on your belt or over your shoulder.
The probe record information like:
- The occurrence of symptoms
- When you eat or lie down
- You’ll go over instructions for using the monitor with your doctor or a nurse.
Be careful not to damage the monitor or get it wet.
You should look into the 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test procedure to:
- Confirm the diagnosis of GERD
- Examine uncommon symptoms of GERD, such as;
- Chest pain
- Chronic cough
- Asthma
- Other throat symptoms
- Evaluate the effectiveness of current heartburn or reflux treatments.
The 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test is also recommended for those whose symptoms aren’t helped by medication.
Your doctor will give you instructions to prepare for the 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test. Most likely, you will be asked to fast for at least 6 hours beforehand to ensure an empty stomach.
It’s important to inform your doctor of:
- Any medication that you take regularly, especially;
- Proton pump inhibitors
- H2 blockers
- Antacids
- Calcium channel blockers
- Nitrates
- Any known allergies to medication
- Any medical conditions that will require special attention, such as;
- diabetes
- heart conditions
- lung conditions
- any other major conditions
It’s important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions.
Try to follow your usual routine during the 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test. Any sort of change to your routine or reduction in activity will make the results of the test less useful.
You should:
Record Eating
Don’t try to change anything about your eating habits. Any sort of change in the type of food or time of ingestion could make the results invalid
Record Times Lying Down
Try not to lie down until you go to bed, unless napping or lying down is a part of your normal routine
Avoid medications stated by your doctor
Make sure not to take any medications that could interfere with the results of the test
Avoid Showering
As a precaution to keep the monitor dry
Your doctor will review the results from the 24-Hour Esophageal pH Test at your next appointment. You may feel some soreness in your throat.
You may resume:
- Your normal activities
- Your normal diet, unless otherwise advised