What Is GERD?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
1. Esophageal Sphincter
A sphincter is a type of circular muscle with a hole in the center. When needed, the sphincter will close tight to prevent anything from getting in and out. There are several in the body and perhaps the most noticeable is the anus, which is a sphincter that helps prevent fecal matter leaving the body.
Another type of sphincter is the esophageal sphincter which, as the name suggests, is located at the bottom of the esophagus. This muscle has the task of closing tight to prevent the stomach’s contents from escaping. If, for whatever reason, it does not close completely then it can result in a number of unwelcome symptoms.
