Gastroesophageal reflux in adolescents

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs in adolescents but its frequency and severity is less than in adults. Typical symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation generally do not require a diagnostic evaluation unless they are associated with alarm signs including odynophagia, dysphagia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, weight loss, atypical chest pain, or respiratory disease. Empiric treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) provides relief in most patients. Patients with persistent symptoms requiring PPI therapy should undergo endoscopy. Those with chronic GERD require medical or surgical therapy, whereas those with nonerosive reflux disease often benefit from changes in lifestyle or intermittent, on-demand medical therapy with a therapeutic aim of symptom relief. Surgical therapy is rarely required but may have a role in adolescents with respiratory complications of gastroesophageal reflux or neurologic handicap.