Acid Reflux

What causes acid reflux?

The esophagus is the tube that carries food from your mouth into your stomach. Where the tube meets the stomach, a round muscle, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), opens to let food enter the stomach and closes to prevent food and stomach acids from getting out.

Acid reflux occurs when a weak or damaged LES lets the stomach contents, including strong acids, reflux (flow back) into the esophagus.

How are acid reflux, GERD, and LPRD different?

Acid reflux is an occasional problem that usually responds well to over-the-counter antacids. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a persistent and more severe form of acid reflux that occurs more than twice a week and doesn’t improve with antacids.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) occurs when the acid reflux makes it all the way up your esophagus and into the back of your throat.

What symptoms develop due to acid reflux?

Heartburn is the most common symptom of acid reflux, GERD, and LPRD. However, you also experience problems such as:

• Hoarseness
• Sore throat
• Dry cough
• Difficulty swallowing
• Bitter taste in your mouth
• Feeling like there’s something in your throat

When acid reflux goes untreated, the stomach acid can damage your esophagus, leading to scar tissue that narrows the opening, an ulcer in the esophagus, and precancerous changes in the esophageal tissues.

How is acid reflux associated with vocal cord disorders?

When stomach acid reaches your throat, it irritates the vocal cords or vocal folds. As a result, the vocal cords become swollen and inflamed, a condition called laryngitis.

Acid reflux may also trigger a sudden vocal cord spasm. When the muscles spasm, it’s temporarily hard to speak or breathe, but the problem disappears in a few minutes.

How is acid reflux treated?

The first line of treatment for acid reflux consists of medications such as antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors. Your provider at ENT Specialists also helps you learn about foods that trigger acid reflux and lifestyle changes that lower your risk for recurrent episodes.

If acid reflux causes a vocal cord disorder, your provider at ENT Specialists creates a customized plan to treat that problem. However, the only long-term solution for vocal cord inflammation is to cure your acid reflux.

When your acid reflux persists despite medication, you may need anti-reflux surgery, such as LINX® Reflux Management System, gastric fundoplication, or transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF).

All three surgeries are minimally invasive procedures that use different techniques to strengthen and support the LES.

If you have ongoing heartburn, call ENT Specialists or schedule an appointment online.