Heartburn is probably the name that you have known acid reflux so far. However not many have the idea of what this is all about and how it can affect both our stomach and our throats. This article is aimed at providing you some insights into acid reflux.
When the contents of your stomach move back into the esophagus and the throat, it is referred to as the acid reflux. It is an entirely common condition, and when you have acid reflux, you experience a burning sensation in your chest region. It starts from the stomach and reaches to the throat.
And that is why it is commonly referred to as the heartburn.
When you have this reflux, you taste sourness in your mouth. People who have chronic reflux often experience difficulty in swallowing and it can even result in asthma.
The esophagus has a muscle at the end called LES (Lower Esophageal sphincter). This muscle opens up during the time we swallow and closes immediately after. If this doesn’t close properly, then the acid and the juices from the stomach rises backward into the esophagus and to the throat causing acid reflux.
Now that we have seen what acid reflux is, here are some facts that you need to know about it.
Anyone can get acid reflux, and there is no age or weight bar on it. There was a misconception once that acid reflux victimizes only obese, middle-aged people. However, that is untrue. It can affect anyone, men, and women, from any place and at any age.
Acid reflux can further be classified as heartburn and throat burn. As the name suggests, the heartburn involves burning sensation that sears through the chest. The throat burn, however, involves hoarseness and sore throat, chronic cough, a feeling of lumping your throat. The throat burn doesn’t include the heartburn, but it is still an acid reflux action only.
One might wonder whether this is such a big deal. However that is not the case, if left untreated it can result in inflammation in the stomach, vocal cords, esophagus, throat, etc. and further result in breathing disorders, pneumonia, and vocal cord polyps.
Specific food items can quickly lead to acid reflux. In fact, there are some non-acidic foods like caffeine, garlic, mint, chocolate, onion, and alcohol which can cause acid to flow backward. And foods like vinegar, citrus, sugary soda, etc. which is acidic will undoubtedly result in inflammation of your throat. To counter the effects of the acidic foods, you can neutralize them by including alkaline or non-acidic foods with it. A good example is a smoothie of berries which are acidic with almond milk which is not.
Other than food, even factors like stress, obesity, hiatal hernia, etc. can cause acid reflux. Avoiding the food that causes the reflux and ensuring that you sit straight while eating and after, you can stay safe from this condition.
