What You Need to Know About Acid Reflux

If you’ve ever experienced a bad case of heartburn, then you are already familiar with what acid reflux feels like. While almost everyone has had a meal come back to haunt them at some point in their lives, some people experience acid reflux and the heartburn that it causes on a routine basis. This is due to a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, and it’s one that 20% of adults in the United States are forced to deal with.

Along with causing some uncomfortable symptoms, gastroesophageal reflux disease can also lead to long-term damage in severe cases. This is why it’s important to manage the condition with medication and thoughtful dietary choices. If you are among the one in five Americans who live with gastroesophageal reflux disease, here is everything you need to know about the condition, including what it is and what causes it, its symptoms and long-term health effects, and how it is treated.

What is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease?

Almost every vertebrate on the planet utilizes stomach acids to aid in the digestive process, and human beings are no exception. These stomach acids are supposed to stay in the stomach where the stomach’s mucosal defense mechanisms prevent them from causing any harm. For various reasons, though, they are sometimes regurgitated into the esophagus where no such defenses exist. When this happens, it is known as acid reflux, and acid reflux that occurs on a frequent and ongoing basis is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Is Acid Reflux the Same as Heartburn?

Heartburn and acid reflux are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they don’t mean quite the same thing. Heartburn is the term used to describe one of the symptoms that acid reflux causes and refers to the burning sensation in the chest caused by stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. Acid reflux, meanwhile, is the name of the condition itself.

Symptoms of Acid Reflux

Heartburn is the most common symptom of acid reflux, but acid reflux can cause other symptoms as well. This includes symptoms such as:

• 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

Long-Term Risks of Acid Reflux

In addition to uncomfortable symptoms, acid reflux can also cause long-term damage to the esophagus if not properly managed. Acid reflux causes scar tissue and inflammation to form in the esophagus, leading to potential issues such as throat pain and issues swallowing. Asthma and laryngitis are two other conditions that acid reflux is able to either trigger or worsen. In rare cases, acid reflux can even cause a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer.

What Causes Acid Reflux?

There are numerous different risk factors that make a person more likely to experience acid reflux and develop gastroesophageal reflux disease. This includes risk factors such as:

• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Hiatal hernia, which is 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, there are also several triggers that can make someone who is prone to acid reflux experience a flare of symptoms, including triggers such as:

• Smoking
• Overeating
• Eating late at night
• Eating certain trigger foods
• Drinking certain beverages such as alcohol and coffee
• Taking certain medications such as aspirin

How is Acid Reflux Treated?

Learning what triggers your acid reflux and avoiding those triggers is the first and most important key to managing this condition. In most cases, avoiding triggers along with the occasional use of over-the-counter antacids such as Rolaids and Tums is all that is required to keep acid reflux symptoms in check and prevent damage to the esophagus. If you find yourself having to take antacids multiple times a week, though, then you may want to discuss additional treatment options with your physician. In some cases, surgery is required to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease via a procedure called Nissen fundoplication. This procedure involves reinforcing the lower esophageal sphincter in order to prevent stomach acids from flowing back up into the esophagus.