An esophageal monitoring test is an outpatient procedure used to measure the amount of stomach acid (pH) that flows from the mouth to the esophagus within a day. It also measures how long the acid stays there.
The esophageal pH monitoring test is primarily used to determine esophageal cancer risk factors, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its symptoms such as chest pains, cough, and asthma.
SYMPTOMS
When preparing for the esophageal pH monitoring test, your health care provider will instruct you not to eat or drink for 4 to 6 hours before the test. It is also essential for you to avoid smoking.
You need to tell your health care provider if you are pregnant and if you have any diseases, especially heart or lung condition, or allergy to any medications.
Some medicines may change the esophageal test results, so you might want to consult with your doctor because there are chances that you might be asked by your provider to stop taking the following medicines. If not, continue taking them. Do not discontinue any medication unless your healthcare provider instructed you to do so.
Listed below are medications that could alter the esophageal test results:
DIAGNOSIS
The equipment used in the esophageal pH monitoring test includes a thin tube that will pass through your nostril or mouth down to your stomach, generally positioned near the lower esophagus. The tube is then pulled back. You might feel like gagging as the tube is passed through your throat.
There is a monitor attached to the tube that will measure the acid level in your esophagus. The device has several buttons with different functions to record symptoms and what happens when you eat and lie down. You have to listen carefully to your health care provider with the monitoring instructions because you will wear the monitor on a strap normally on your belt or over your shoulder.
You have to record all of your activity within 24 hours in a journal, especially the time you start and finish eating, the time you start lying down, and done lying down, or the moment you sit or stand. It is also suggested but necessary to note the food you eat. Make sure to properly press the buttons in the monitor and record all the symptoms.
The next day, you need to return to the hospital to have the tube removed. Your health care provider will then check the monitor’s analysis compared to the activities you have noted. For infants and children, it is suggested to stay in the hospital for better monitoring.
However, there is a newly developed method to monitor esophageal acid and that is by using a wireless pH probe or a capsule-like device (BRAVO) attached to the lining of your upper esophagus with an endoscope and then another device you need to wear on your wrist. The BRAVO will be in your esophagus to measure acidity and will transmit pH levels to the recording device on your wrist.
The capsule will fall within a week and move down through the gastrointestinal tract and will then be expelled with a bowel movement and flushed down the toilet.
You have to set another appointment with your doctor to get the test results and discuss if there are any increased acids in the esophagus because it could be related to Barrett’s esophagus (or precancerous changes in the cells of one’s esophagus), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), heartburn, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bile reflux.
Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that affects the [...]
Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, is a parasitic infection caused by [...]
Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological condition characterized by severe facial pain. [...]
