Asthma and Acid Reflux:
A Sinister Marriage of Two Diseases
By: Elizabeth Radisson
Asthma is among many diseases that have caused great discomfort and even disabilities to a large number of sufferers worldwide. Now the healthcare community have been noticing a fairly consistent connection between asthma and another troublesome condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or more popularly known as acid reflux. The occurrence of these two ailments forms an alarming combination of symptoms that are sure to increase the irritation caused by either disease alone.
Various things can set off an asthma attack in those who are prone to this lung disease. For some it takes as little as a small puff of cold breeze, a little whiff of dust, or a tense situation, among many other factors. Now it has been discovered that acid reflux can also set off asthma episodes, particularly in adult patients.
What is Acid Reflux?
When people eat, the food goes through the mouth to the stomach through the throat and the esophagus. The esophagus is a thin tube that connects the throat to the stomach. In some people, the esophagus can get irritated and tender because acid from the stomach backs up. This backing up of acid is known as acid reflux. Acid reflux can reach high up the throat, causing even more inflammation and discomfort or triggering other illnesses such as asthma.
What causes Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux may be caused by a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. The LES acts as the gatekeeper of the stomach. When people swallow, the LES opens to permit food particles and liquid into the stomach. Once food has passed through, the LES shuts up to prevent the stomach's contents from returning to the esophagus.
Acid reflux sufferers may have a faulty LES, which does not close correctly or opens at the wrong times. This allows acid and some digested food particles to return to the esophagus, causing a sensation of burning due to irritation. This results in a condition that most people refer to as heartburn.
How are Acid Reflux and Asthma Related?
It has been observed by many doctors specializing in asthma that people with asthma are also more likely to have a faulty LES. Furthermore, many reports have revealed that people with asthma who were treated for acid reflux also experienced some respite from the symptoms of asthma.
Acid reflux can cause asthma symptoms in two ways. First, acid reflux may cause people to breathe little droplets of acid into their lungs unknowingly. This acid can irritate the very fragile pulmonary lining and cause spasms in the bronchi or airways, which in turn can result in an asthma attack.
Second, recurring episodes of acid reflux may cause digestive acid to dissolve the esophageal lining and expose some parts of significant nerves that are connected to the lungs. The irritation of the nerve endings have been observed to also set off the constriction of airways, which could then result in an asthma attack.
Is Acid Reflux Causing Your Asthma?
People with asthma may realize that their asthma attacks are related with acid reflux if their asthma started in their adult years. Acid reflux is also suspected if asthma symptoms become more noticeable after eating, at nighttime, and after some time lying down. It can also be noticeable if the normal asthma treatments are ineffective.
With the connection between asthma and acid reflux being recognized, it is therefore smart to test for GERD. The combination of these two diseases can seriously hamper the quality of one's lifestyle and thus early detection is necessary.
About the Article Author
Liz Radisson is the owner of www.OurGoodHealth.org . OurGoodHealth is devoted to providing interesting articles about health-related issues. For more information about acid reflux, visit http://www.ourgoodhealth.org/acid-reflux
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