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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 15, 2005 Dr. Kris Jacobson, right, inserts the wireless acid-monitoring device into William Shurtz�s esophagus with assistance from Allen Morehouse and Barbara Steely. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Device improves acid monitoring By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune If you wake up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation in your throat, it’s probably just a reminder that you had too much of a good thing — but it could be a sign of something worse. Acid indigestion now and then after a big meal is nothing to worry about. If it comes around once or twice a week, it could be a signal of what physicians call gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. If left untreated GERD can lead to more serious problems, and in some cases, cancer of the esophagus. To diagnose GERD, physicians measure the acid content in a patient’s esophagus. For years they used an endoscope, a slender tube that was inserted through the nose and pushed down into the esophagus. Patients were supposed to keep it in place for 24 hours and go about their ordinary life. The scope is intrusive enough that many people can’t tolerate it. New equipment that incorporates wireless technology makes the procedure much easier for patients and provides better information for physicians. Doctors can now measure acid levels in the esophagus with a sensor not much bigger than a gel cap. The device is attached to the esophagus just above the sphincter muscle that normally prevents stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. It measures acid levels in the esophagus and transmits the information to a recorder carried by the patient. Advertisement Patients don’t feel a thing, says Dr. Kris Jacobson, one of the physicians who uses the Medtronic acid monitoring device at Providence Medford Medical Center. "There’s no sensation in the esophagus." To attach the sensor, a physician starts by giving the patient a mild anesthetic. The device is attached to an endoscope, which is inserted down the throat. A "tape measure" on the endoscope allows the physician to know when the sensor reaches the right location. A tiny staple holds it in place for several days. When the staple loosens, the disposable sensor slides into the stomach and proceeds through the digestive system. Patients who have had both procedures say the little sensor is far superior. "With the one that goes down your throat you don’t feel like doing anything," says Holly Robin of Ashland. "It doesn’t give an accurate reflection of what you’re really doing." Robin, who has chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, says she couldn’t eat her ordinary diet with the tube in her nose and down her throat. "I almost choked on a piece of bread," she says. "The tube down your nose is very intrusive," she says. "You feel a little violated after it’s done." Jacobson implanted one of the wireless sensors in William Shurtz’s esophagus last week to try to diagnose the source of a persistent cough that began back in June. Persistent cough can be a symptom of GERD. "I had no sensation of it at all," says Shurtz, 80, who’s waiting for his test results to be interpreted. "I’m patiently waiting to find out what went wrong." Jacobson says most insurance companies are accepting the device, which costs about $250, or about twice as much as an endoscopic probe inserted through the nose. Indigestion risks: Heartburn is one of the most common complaints physicians hear about, and it seems to be on the rise. A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that as many as 40 million Americans experience acid indigestion at least once a week. Of those, about 15 million people have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Many physicians suspect obesity and a diet rich in fats may be contributing factors in the growing incidence of heartburn. Acid indigestion also seems to be aggravated by lying down, so many physicians recommend eating earlier in the evening to avoid lying in bed with a full stomach. Eating less may help, too. Heartburn drugs such as Nexium and Prilosec, which suppress acid production in the stomach, have been used to provide relief for more than two decades. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Advertisement s