Sunday, August 16, 2009

Acid Reflux and Sore Throat

By Bob Cox

As if it's not bad enough having heartburn, people with acid reflux are also at risk for chronic sore throat. Although it may not be clear why at first, I think you'll find it makes perfect sense.

You probably realize that acid reflux refers to acid from the stomach refluxing into the esophagus. The esophagus wasn't designed to handle the acid, so it causes irritation. in a sense, "heartburn" really is a burn - an acid burn.

The lower part of the esophagus is most at risk for problems since his closest to the stomach. When acid gurgles out of the stomach into the esophagus, this is where it strikes first.

But if the reflux is bad enough, the acid can back up even farther. In many people it reaches the mid-and upper portion of the esophagus, and in quite a few it even gets to the back of the throat.

This is what acid reflux sore throat is all about. It's irritation in the back of the throat as result of acid from the stomach backing all the way up the esophagus. The acid can even leak into the windpipe causing lung and breathing problems.

Another indication a person might have acid reflux as a cause of their sore throat is if they also knows a metallic taste. That taste is characteristic of acid.

I think you can see now that is not so surprising that heartburn and a chronic sore throat can have the same underlying cause. Someone that has a persistent sore throat because of acid reflux has a particularly severe case and it's very important that they get treatment. This is especially important to prevent possible lung complications.

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