Kent offers new acid-reflux testing

WARWICK – Kent Hospital is now offering the latest technology for testing for acid-reflux problems, with tests that can gauge both esophageal motility and impedance.
Esophageal motility tests evaluate the function of the esophagus to determine the causes of various symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing and chest pain. This study is usually done before other medical procedures to gather crucial information. It takes no more than 45 minutes and is an outpatient procedure.
Impedance studies are a more advanced kind of test to evaluate and diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease, in which the contents of the stomach move upward into the esophagus, causing the well-known acid-reflux or “heartburn” sensations.
Most people experience reflux at some point, but when it occurs frequently, it can damage the lining of the esophagus and cause symptoms such as severe heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness and cough.
The 24-hour pH/impedance study measures acid exposure within the esophagus as well as exposure to nonacidic liquid and stomach contents. It can be used not only to diagnose new cases, but to evaluate how well a patient is responding to medication.
“We are proud to offer both of these new tests at Kent Hospital that help to ensure we are providing the best possible health care for our patients,” said Dr. Eric Berthiaume, a gastroenterologist at Kent. “By providing the latest technology and testing resources we are better able to gather critical information involving a host of medical issues with reflux and the esophagus.”