What is 24-hour pH and Impendance Monitoring?
24-hour pH and impedance monitoring measures the amount of reflux (both acidic and non-acidic) in your esophagus over the course of 24 hours. The most common use for this test is to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
What to Expect During a 24-hour pH Impedance Monitoring
Your provider will discuss all specificities with you based on your current medications. You will want to stop eating and drinking four hours prior to your scheduled test time.
For this test, a catheter is placed through your nose, down your esophagus and connected to a small recorder at your waist. Putting the catheter in will take about 30 minutes. You’ll still be able to swallow, talk and breathe without any difficulty throughout the duration of the test. This catheter will measure changes in acidity as well the movement and pressure of the esophagus.
You will go about your normal day while doing this test including all eating, drinking and sleeping. The catheter will not cause any interference or discomfort when eating and drinking.
The results of this 24-hour test help determine whether reflux of stomach contents into your esophagus is behind symptoms like heartburn, regurgitation, cough or sore throat. Additionally, the results will provide more in-depth information such as the length and severity of each reflux event.