Most people associate acid reflux with heartburn — that burning sensation in your chest after a heavy meal. But stomach acid doesn’t always announce itself so clearly. Sometimes it travels all the way up to your throat and causes symptoms that have nothing to do with digestion.
At our Brooklyn, New York, office, Steven D. Kushnick, MD, diagnoses and treats laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), a condition where stomach acid reaches your throat and voice box. Unlike typical acid reflux, LPR rarely causes heartburn, which means many people don’t realize their throat problems stem from their stomach.
Your esophagus connects your throat to your stomach. Normally, a muscular valve at the bottom of your esophagus keeps stomach contents from flowing backward. When this valve weakens or relaxes at the wrong times, acid can escape upward.
With typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach acid irritates the lower esophagus and causes heartburn. With LPR, acid travels higher and reaches your voice box, throat, and even the back of your nose. These delicate tissues weren’t built to handle stomach acid, so even small amounts cause irritation and inflammation.
Many people with LPR never feel heartburn. The acid exposure happens in the throat rather than the chest, creating completely different symptoms.
The throat irritation from LPR mimics symptoms of allergies, sinus problems, or chronic infections. Common symptoms include:
These symptoms often worsen in the morning because acid reflux happens more during sleep when you’re lying flat.
Several medical conditions and lifestyle factors can contribute to LPR, including:
Certain foods and beverages can also relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus, including caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and acidic or fatty foods. Eating large meals or lying down soon after eating also increases reflux risk because your stomach is full and gravity can’t help keep contents down.
Dr. Kushnick evaluates your symptoms and determines which treatment approach will work best for your situation. He may recommend:
Eating smaller meals throughout the day, avoiding food and drinks for at least three hours before bed, and elevating the head of your bed by 6-8 inches can all reduce the likelihood of stomach acid reaching your throat. Maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking also improve valve function.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) block acid production and give irritated throat tissues time to heal. Dr. Kushnick may recommend starting with medication while you implement dietary changes, then gradually reducing or stopping medication once your symptoms improve.
Most people don’t need surgery for LPR, but a procedure called nissen fundoplication can help if you haven’t responded to medication. This procedure involves wrapping part of the stomach around the bottom of the esophagus to strengthen the valve and stop acid from flowing backward.
Chronic throat clearing, hoarseness, and that annoying lump sensation may point to ongoing acid damage that needs treatment. Dr. Kushnick can identify whether LPR is causing your symptoms and develop a treatment plan that addresses the source of the problem.
Call our Brooklyn, New York, office at 718-250-8520 today, or use our online booking tool to schedule an evaluation for your throat symptoms.
