As stomach acid inches up your food pipe, there's a possibility that some of it can sneak into your lungs too, causing respiratory issues ranging from no big deal (like persistent coughing, chest congestion, and hoarseness) to totally unexpected (like asthma, laryngitis, pneumonia, or wheezing).
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. This clinical review examines the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of pulmonary manifestations of GERD.
When the stomach contents are highly acidic, as it can be in poorly treated acid reflux, there can be immediate trauma to the tissues exposed. Symptoms of aspiration include: Coughing, choking, wheezing, rapid breathing and bad breath.
If the acid is inhaled into the lungs, it could cause aspiration pneumonia or symptoms of asthma. If the acid reflux is chronic, it could eventually cause permanent lung damage including pulmonary fibrosis or bronchiectasis.
Acid Reflux and Shortness of Breath
Along with shortness of breath from swollen airways, severe GERD may result in fluid in the lungs or aspiration pneumonia. Acid reflux can also cause problems swallowing, or a feeling of food being stuck in your throat.
Heartburn may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. It should go away when the last meal you ate has passed out of your stomach. Once your stomach has emptied its contents, there should be nothing left to come back up (reflux).
Aspiration of large amounts of gastric acid will result in the induction of a chemical injury to the airways and lung parenchyma. The initial insult triggers a cascade of inflammatory responses with the recruitment of inflammatory cells and the release of various inflammatory mediators [4].
A burning pain in the chest that usually occurs after eating and may occur at night. Pain that worsens when lying down or bending over. A bitter or acidic taste in the mouth.
Mild acid reflux typically occurs in the same place each time you experience a flare-up of your symptoms. However, if the pain moves around your stomach or chest or it relocates to a new area entirely, you should go to the ER or your doctor immediately.
In other words, if heartburn is frequent enough that it causes problems that make your quality of life diminished, you may have acid reflux disease. This might mean that you're unable to sleep at night because of pain, or you might go so far as to find that acid is eating away at the lining of the throat or esophagus.
Heartburn for multiple days in a row can result from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a hiatal hernia, Barrett's esophagus, or esophageal cancer. Heartburn refers to the burning sensation in the chest that happens as a result of stomach acid. This is called acid reflux. Occasional acid reflux is normal .
People who experience pulmonary edema may struggle to breathe; the feeling has been described as being like drowning or suffocating. Some people cough up a thick, pink, frothy liquid while struggling for air. Pulmonary edema can be a life-threatening condition. Immediate medical attention is essential.
If you have acid reflux, the acid in your stomach comes up the esophagus to your throat. This can result in throat irritation and postnasal drip, along with chest congestion.
Swallowing problems or acid reflux can give patients similar symptoms of nasal/throat drainage or phlegm. A correct diagnosis of the underlying problem is essential to properly treat a patient with post-nasal drip. Treatments for viral infections, allergies, and sinusitis are discussed in other sections.
Common symptoms of GERD include: Feeling that food is stuck behind the breastbone. Heartburn or a burning pain in the chest. Nausea after eating.
Symptoms of aspiration (inhaling something like secretions) start very quickly, even one to two hours after you inhale something you shouldn't have. It may take a day or two for pneumonia to develop.
LPR can cause serious issues like choking, breathing problems (asthma or bronchitis), scarring of the voice box and windpipe, noisy breathing and in rare cases cancer of the esophagus, throat or voice box.
Aspiration pneumonia is known as a 'silent killer' and it can become deadly without many symptoms. People prone to aspiration have reduced cough reflexes, so they may not notice themselves choking or induce a cough when they aspirate.
When the respiratory system is healthy and strong, pulmonary aspiration often clears up on its own. When the respiratory system is compromised or a digestive disorder causes chronic pulmonary aspiration, a bacterial infection can occur, causing pneumonia.
Chronic debilitating symptoms with recurrent infections might occur with delayed extraction, or the patient may remain asymptomatic. The actual aspiration event can usually be identified, although it is often not immediately appreciated. The aspirated object might even escape detection.
Stage 4: Reflux-induced Precancerous Lesions or Esophageal Cancer. Stage 4 GERD represents the most serious consequence of long-term reflux, and approximately 10% of people who have GERD will progress to this stage if their reflux remains uncontrolled over time.