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It is important to know that the symptoms of acid reflux can be mistaken for other conditions and lead to more complications. While it can be hard to diagnose with acid reflux, it is even harder to treat it.
Danger of acid relux how to#
Some of the others listed are: Addison’s disease, celiac disease, osteoporosis, pernicious anemia, chronic autoimmune disorders, diabetes, food allergies, vitiligo, Graves’s disease, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis.Acid reflux is one of the most common digestive disorders in the world, yet very few people are aware of it and don’t know how to treat it. In a 2016 paper entitled Implications of Low Stomach Acid: An Update, the authors state: “a number of chronic health conditions are correlated with impaired acid secretion, including allergies, asthma and gallstones.” (see: The Dangers of Acid Reflux Medications)

This means that sufferers do not try to address the root cause and instead try to neutralize or block acid production with OTC medication or eventually succumb to prescription medication like PPIs, which only aggravate matters. The biggest danger of persistent acid reflux is the lack of awareness that hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) could be underpinning it.

The statistics are grim: “The lifetime risk of esophageal cancer in the United States is about 1 in 132 in men and about 1 in 455 in women.”Īdenocarcinoma, cancer that starts in the glands and spreads to other areas of the body, is “a rare but life-threatening complication of GERD.” and almost 16,000 Americans died of the disease.” The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2017, nearly 17,000 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. “As the rate of acid reflux has risen steadily over the past decade, so have related complications. Esophagitis and Barrett’s esophagus are both associated with a higher risk of cancer of the esophagus and throat and Barrett’s is considered to be a precancerous condition. “The acid can cause throat irritation, postnasal drip and hoarseness, as well as recurrent cough, chest congestion and lung inflammation leading to asthma and/or bronchitis/ pneumonia.”Ī serious long-term complication of acid reflux is Barrett’s esophagus where abnormal cells develop in response to acid insult. Acid can also be aspirated into the lungs. Long-term reflux can affect the larynx, causing laryngeal ulcers or granulomas and vocal cord scarring. The loss of blood can lead to the development of anemia. These ulcers are prone to bleeding – bloody stools may indicate that this is happening. Sometimes, ulcers develop in the esophagus, a condition known as erosive esophagitis. Obviously, a tighter passage is going to make swallowing not only painful but difficult and can interfere with sleep and quality of life. This inflammation can cause swelling, which narrows the passage through which food has to pass. One of the most common problems is esophagitis or inflammation of the esophagus. If this continues long-term, more pain ensues and cancer can be the ultimate result. If the esophagus is persistently exposed to the acid secretions that rightly belong only in the stomach, several unpleasant and even deadly consequences can transpire.

It is a symptom of a much bigger issue than the discomfort of acid seeping into the esophagus. Whilst the occasional bout of heartburn is quite normal and nothing to be stressed about, persistent acid reflux is not a benign condition.Īcid reflux signals that something is awry in your digestive system.
