酸回流and how it can affect your throat

偶尔的胃灼伤或acid refluxcan happen to anyone. However, if you experience it two or more times a week most weeks, you could be at risk for complications that may affect the health of your throat.

了解常规胃灼热的并发症以及如何保护您的喉部免受损坏。

During normal digestion, food goes down the esophagus (the tube at the back of your throat) through a muscle or valve known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), and into the stomach.

When you experience heartburn or acid reflux, the LES is relaxing, or opening, when it shouldn’t. This allows acid from the stomach to rise back up into the esophagus.

Though most anyone may experience heartburn once in a while, those who have more severe cases may be diagnosed withgastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)。在这些情况下，对治疗痛苦和不舒服症状的病情并保障食管和喉咙是很重要的。

灼热感觉灼烧的感觉是胃酸伤害了食道的衬里。随着时间的推移，反复暴露于食道衬里的胃酸会导致称为esophagitis。

食管炎是食管的炎症，使其容易造成侵蚀，溃疡和瘢痕组织等伤害。食管炎的症状可能包括疼痛，吞咽困难，酸性反流性。

医生可以用测试组合诊断这种情况，包括上内窥镜检查和活组织检查。

Your doctor will likely begin treatment immediately if you’ve been diagnosed with esophagitis, as an inflamed esophagus can lead to more health complications.

如果没有患有GERD和食管炎症状，您的胃酸可能会继续进一步损害您的食道。随着时间的推移，反复损害可能导致以下并发症：

  • 缩小的esophagus: This is calledesophageal stricture并且可能是由GERD或肿瘤产生的瘢痕组织引起的。您可能会遇到吞咽或食物困难的困境。
  • Esophageal rings: These are rings or folds of abnormal tissue that form in the lower lining of the esophagus. These bands of tissue may constrict the esophagus and cause trouble swallowing.
  • 巴雷特的食道: This is a condition in which the cells in the lining of the esophagus are damaged from stomach acid and change to become similar to the cells lining the small intestine. This is a rare condition and you may feel no symptoms, but it can increase your risk of developing食道癌。

可以避免所有这三种并发症，并且适当治疗频繁的胃灼热或GERD。

除了可能损害较低的食道外，频繁的胃灼热或凸刀也可能会损伤上喉部。如果胃酸一直进入喉咙或鼻道的背面，这可能会发生这种情况。这种情况通常被称为喉咽回流（LPR）。

LPR is also sometimes called “silent reflux,” because it doesn’t always present symptoms that people readily recognize. It’s important for individuals with GERD to be checked for LPR to avoid any potential throat or voice damage. Symptoms of LPR may include the following:

  • hoarseness
  • 慢性喉咙清除
  • 喉咙里的“肿块”的感觉
  • chronic cough or cough that wakes you from your sleep
  • choking episodes
  • “rawness” in the throat
  • voice problems (particularly in singers or voice professionals)

No matter if you have frequent heartburn, GERD, LPR, or a combination of these, it’s important to control your symptoms to avoid additional health problems. Talk to your doctor and try the following 生活方式修改 :

  • Eat smaller meals more frequently and take your time chewing.
  • Avoid overeating.
  • Increase physical activity if overweight.
  • 增加饮食中的纤维。
  • 增加水果和饮食中的蔬菜。
  • Stay upright for at least one hour after meals.
  • 睡前避免在睡前吃2到3个小时。
  • 避免触发食物，如高脂肪和高糖物品，酒精，咖啡因和巧克力。
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • 戒烟。
  • Elevate the head of the bed six inches.