Why does acid reflux cause difficulty breathing?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Gastroenterologist, Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital and MSc Vu Tan Phuc - Gastroenterologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
Gastroesophageal reflux that causes shortness of breath not only brings discomfort in daily life, but it is also a warning sign that the condition of the disease is at risk of worsening.

1. What is Gastroesophageal Reflux?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux, is the backflow of stomach acid, pepsin, or food into the esophagus. This disease arises when the stomach increases acid secretion, causing excess acid in the gastric juice, leading to a tendency to reflux into the esophagus.
The main cause of this disease is lower esophageal sphincter failure, diaphragmatic hernia, increased pressure in the abdomen or food stagnation in the stomach.
In addition, some factors that increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease are: obesity, pregnancy, smoking, asthma, eating the wrong way, diabetes, drinking a lot of alcohol.

2. What are the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease?

The most common GERD symptoms include:
sour, heartburn: gas is an early sign of GERD. Heartburn is often accompanied by heartburn, belching, leaving a sour feeling in the mouth; Epigastric pain: The feeling of pain in the epigastrium, pressure occurs because acid reflux affects the nerve endings; Excessive salivation; Bitter mouth: Gastroesophageal reflux is often accompanied by bile secretion, causing the mouth to be bitter; Asthma, difficulty swallowing, cough, hoarseness.

3. Does Gastroesophageal Reflux Cause Difficulty Breathing?

Usually, when breathing is difficult, the first thought is a respiratory problem, but this is also a common symptom in patients with GERD. Or rather, shortness of breath is one of the serious symptoms of acid reflux. More than 45% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease will find it difficult to breathe.
According to the most recent studies, the difficulty of breathing when having acid reflux is caused by excess stomach acid, affecting the breathing tube. Normally, when there is an excess of acid, the body will adjust itself to produce more bases to neutralize. But in patients with disease, the amount of acid produced is too much, making the base not enough to neutralize, leading to excess. This amount of acid causes the esophagus to dilate, not closing tightly, which leads to breathing difficulties.
Mechanisms leading to shortness of breath include:
The excess amount of acid in the gastric juice flows up into the esophagus, causing irritation of the esophageal lining. Here, pressure on the trachea occurs. At this point, the patient will begin to find it difficult to breathe; When food is pulled up the nasopharynx, the airway is also blocked, causing a feeling of shortness of breath, chest tightness; Acid reflux into the esophagus not only causes obstruction, but also causes inflammation. At that time, the nervous system in the lining of the esophagus will affect the muscles in the chest, thereby causing a reflex to contract, pressing directly on the airway, causing difficulty breathing; Stomach acid enters the esophagus, potentially entering the lungs, causing swelling of the airways. This phenomenon mainly occurs when the patient is sleeping.

4. Is gastroesophageal reflux causing shortness of breath dangerous?

As mentioned above, when a patient experiences symptoms of shortness of breath, it is also a warning sign that the patient's disease level is getting worse. At this time, dangerous complications can arise at any time when the patient is not treated at the right time:
Respiratory problems: when acid refluxes into the stomach too many times, it will cause ulcers. Not only affects the airways, but it also causes phenomena such as pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchitis, pneumonia. These problems are difficult to treat and very complicated. Barrett's esophagus: this is a disorder that often arises when gastric juices flow up into the esophagus for a long time, causing the esophagus to change color. About 5% of subjects with Barrett's esophagus will have a very high risk of esophageal cancer, 30 to 125 times higher than the general population. Esophageal stricture: Repeated acid reflux up the esophagus will cause irreversible damage to the esophagus, forming scar tissue, narrowing the esophagus. Esophagitis: This is the most common complication of GERD. When the mucosal layers are worn away, bacteria will attack and cause an inflammatory response, triggering inflammation. If not treated in time, ulcers will form. Esophageal cancer: although this complication is uncommon, there is a risk of developing it. When patients suffer from this complication, the condition will deteriorate very quickly, even cause death if not treated quickly.

5. How to overcome gastric reflux that leads to difficulty breathing

Shortness of breath for a long time is a very bad and dangerous feeling. Therefore, patients need to visit the doctor regularly to detect and treat the disease, to avoid breathing difficulty before going to the doctor. As such, serious complications will arise.
In addition, the patient can note the following tips:
Change the lifestyle to a healthy state: The patient needs to modify the eating habits, should not eat too much before going to bed or eat too much during the day. a meal. Should exercise regularly, give up bad habits, do not drink alcohol, smoke, reduce stress. Along with that is the addition of good foods such as yogurt, bread, apples, ginger, oats, green vegetables. Understanding what gastroesophageal reflux should eat will help patients reduce uncomfortable symptoms. Using Western drugs to treat: The groups of drugs that doctors recommend include: H2 inhibitors (Cimetidine, famotidine), proton pump inhibitors (lansoprazole, omeprazole ...), drugs that increase the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. (metoclopramide, domperidone), drugs to protect the stomach lining (alginate, dimeticol, misoprostol...). Using natural herbs: 9 recommended herbs include Chamomile, Licorice, Thuong Truc, CurmaNano, Hoang Lien, Hau sketch, Ban Ha Bac, Ngo Thu Du, Ginger.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.