Complications That Are Possible From Acid Reflux

We are probably used to being told that certain diseases and conditions carry with them the possibility of complications and the same is true for those who have acid reflux. Usually is you suffer...

We are probably used to being told that certain diseases and conditions carry with them the possibility of complications and the same is true for those who have acid reflux. Usually is you suffer from occasional acid reflux or it occurs only when you indulge on occasion with either fatty, spicy foods or too much alcohol you will experience mild discomfort that goes away with the incident or occasion. There are those however for which acid reflux is a common occurrence and for them the possibility of complications is greater. If you have persistent acid reflux with frequent relapses and if your reflux remains untreated, you can experience serious complications as time goes on. These serious complications can include Barrett’s esophagus, erosive esophagitis, problems with your airway, lungs, throat and teeth, and severe narrowing of the esophagus. The elderly are at special risk for complications from acid reflux.

If you already have an inflamed esophagus, your beginning symptoms of acid reflux are intense, your symptoms persist despite treatment or you have any underlying muscular abnormalities you are at special risk for complications from acid reflux.

Some of the possible complications include erosive esophagitis and the complications that can occur as a result of having that, which include bleeding (even long-term bleeding), and ulcers in the esophagus or Barrett’s esophagus (BE), and esophageal cancer. It must be noted that just having acid reflux itself does not mean that you will get esophageal cancer.

Strictures (narrowed regions of the esophagus) can develop if your esophagus is severely damaged from acid reflux that is left untreated over a long period of time. These strictures can have a negative effect on your ability to swallow creating the condition known as dysphagia (difficult swallowing). The damage to your esophagus can even cause food to be lodged in which you will need to have surgery or to do stretching exercises in order to have normal swallowing again. The good news is that sometimes these strictures actually prevent further damage from acid reflux as they can stop acid from traveling back up the esophagus by their very presence.

Respiratory diseases such as asthma can occur together with acid reflux because studies show that it happens in 32% to 80% of asthma cases. When acid reflux occurs there are two things that can happen to cause an asthma attack: the acid reflux stimulates the vagus nerves which can trigger the airways in the lung to constrict causing the symptoms of asthma or the regurgitated stomach contents and stomach acid can come into the mouth where it can be inhaled or aspirated into the airways which can then trigger an asthma attack. Scientists are uncertain as to whether or not asthma causes acid reflux or acid reflux causes asthma.

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