Acid reflux is a condition that can make even your favorite food your worst dietary enemy. Almost everyone is prone to experiencing a little indigestion or heartburn from time to time, but about 20% of adults in the United States have a disease called gastroesophageal reflux disease that causes them to experience heartburn on a regular basis.
It’s an uncomfortable condition and one that can potentially damage the lower esophagus. Thankfully, the symptoms of acid reflux can typically be mitigated with a combination of dietary precautions and medications. If you are one of the 20% of Americans who suffer from acid reflux, here is everything that you need to know about the condition, including what causes it, its symptoms and long-term consequences, and how it is treated.
What is Acid Reflux?
The stomach contains powerful acids intended to help digest food. Sometimes, though, these stomach acids don’t stay in the stomach. Acid reflux occurs when stomach acids flow out of the stomach and back into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest known as heartburn.
Most people experience acid reflux occasionally. When acid reflux occurs repeatedly, though, it is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
What’s the Difference Between Acid Reflux and Heartburn?
Though heartburn and acid reflux are terms that are often used interchangeably, there is a key distinction between the two terms. Heartburn is the term used to describe the burning sensation that acid reflux causes, while acid reflux is the term used to describe what happens when stomach acids backflow into the esophagus. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, meanwhile, is the condition that those who experience acid reflux on a regular basis are diagnosed with.
Symptoms and Long-Term Effects of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
The burning sensation known as heartburn is the most common and obvious symptom of acid reflux, and heartburn due to acid reflux typically occurs following a meal and/or during the nighttime hours when you are lying down to sleep. Along with heartburn, other common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease include:
- The sensation of a lump in your throat
- Trouble swallowing
- Chest or upper abdominal pain
- Regurgitating food or sour liquid
- Inflammation of the vocal cords (laryngitis)
- A persistent cough
- New or worsening asthma
Some of these symptoms of acid reflux are also health concerns in and of themselves. Laryngitis and asthma, for instance, are two conditions that gastroesophageal reflux disease can either trigger or worsen. Acid reflux can also cause damage to the esophagus, forming scar tissue and inflammation that can lead to throat pain and issues swallowing. These long-term effects of acid reflux along with the disease’s other unpleasant symptoms make it important to seek treatment for acid reflux if you continue to experience its symptoms on a regular basis.
How is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Treated?
In most cases, acid reflux can be managed with a combination of over-the-counter medications and lifestyle changes. Antacids such as Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums neutralize stomach acids and can provide quick relief from acid reflux symptoms. Avoiding certain trigger foods such as fatty and fried foods, eating smaller portions, and avoiding large meals before bed can also mitigate acid reflux symptoms.
In severe cases, though, surgery is sometimes required to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease. The most common surgical procedure for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease is Nissen fundoplication, which involves reinforcing the lower esophageal sphincter to prevent stomach acids from flowing back up into the esophagus.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that can make a person more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease. This includes risk factors such as:
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Hiatal hernia, defined as a bulging of the top of the stomach above the diaphragm.
- Scleroderma and other connective tissue disorders
- Delayed stomach emptying
Along with these risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease, there are also a number of things that can aggravate a pre-existing case of gastroesophageal reflux disease or cause someone who does not have gastroesophageal reflux disease to experience occasional acid reflux. This includes:
- Smoking
- Overeating
- Eating late at night
- Eating certain trigger foods
- Drinking certain beverages such as alcohol and coffee
- Taking certain medications such as aspirin
If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or are otherwise prone to acid reflux, then it is important to avoid these triggers. If avoiding these triggers does not prevent your acid reflux symptoms and you still find yourself having to take an antacid on a regular basis then be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
