What is the difference between acid reflux and laryngeal reflux?

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Gastroenterology - Endoscopy, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

There are two different types of reflux: acid reflux and laryngeal reflux. Although both diseases are related to gastroesophageal reflux disease, they still have many differences in the symptoms that patients experience.

1.1 Acid reflux causes damage to esophageal tissue Acid reflux (gastric acid reflux) is a condition related to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is a phenomenon in which acid from the stomach is pushed up into the lumen of the esophagus. esophagus, causing irritation, burning in the chest.
This condition occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly and does not form a tight barrier between the stomach and esophagus. Meanwhile, stomach acid (HCl) is a strong acid. When they move up into the esophagus, they cause damage to the esophageal tissues.
1.2 Laryngeal reflux causes damage to the larynx, larynx, and lungs. lower esophageal sphincter.
However, in laryngopharyngeal reflux, stomach acid backs up through the esophagus into the back of the throat (different from acid reflux, where stomach acid only flows up into the esophagus). This damages the larynx, larynx, and lungs.
Therefore, laryngeal reflux damages the upper gastrointestinal tract, pharynx and pharynx or nasal passages. Meanwhile, acid reflux only damages the esophagus.

2.1 Stomach Acid Reflux Patients with acid reflux will experience very obvious symptoms that can be detected and managed early. Common symptoms include:
Heartburn , flatulence, nausea, vomiting,

Esophageal regurgitation, dysphagia Dry cough, asthma, dyspnea, sleep disruption 2.2 Laryngeal reflux Disease is also known as silent reflux because the symptoms present in the patient are atypical for reflux reverse. This is because stomach acid doesn't stay in the esophagus for too long, so it doesn't have enough time to cause damage to the esophagus.
Other symptoms seen in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux include:
Hoarseness, throat irritation, Bitter taste in throat, sore throat, burning throat, constant throat clearing, choking. Shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, chronic cough and sinus infection, Chronic runny nose or a feeling of runny nose from the throat, asthma. Laryngeal reflux disease is easily misdiagnosed as respiratory diseases, tonsillitis, chronic pharyngitis,... At the same time, the disease has the risk of causing more serious complications than typical acid reflux. .

3.1 Acid reflux People at high risk of disease are:
People who are obese Have Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, high blood calcium levels Scleroderma and systemic sclerosis, smoking, Pregnancy, use certain medications (antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, sleeping pills and antidepressants) 3.2 Laryngeal Reflux Laryngeal reflux is more common in infants because their sphincters are not fully developed. In addition, newborn babies also have a short esophagus and most of the time the baby is placed in bed, so gastric juice is easy to back up into the larynx and pharynx.

4.1 Acid Reflux Stomach acid reflux is very dangerous if the patient is not actively treated early or treated improperly. Possible complications are:
Esophageal stricture: With initial symptoms including difficulty swallowing, chest pain, pain when eating, leading to lack of appetite,...; Esophagitis: Common in people with stomach acid reflux for a long time. Signs of this condition are pain when swallowing, burning in the esophagus, especially the area behind the sternum;

Barrett's esophagus : Usually there are no specific signs but only manifestations of the common reflux condition. Many tests, especially endoscopy and cytology, are required to make an accurate diagnosis; Esophageal cancer is the most dangerous complication of the disease, directly affecting the patient's life. Esophageal cancer often occurs in people over 50 years old with manifestations such as difficulty swallowing, dull pain behind the sternum, hoarseness, unexplained weight loss,... 4.2 laryngopharyngeal reflux When stomach acid attacks the throat and larynx, will cause irritation, long-term damage to these organs. In adults, laryngopharyngeal reflux can cause scarring in the throat and larynx.
In addition, silent reflux also increases the risk of cancer of the pharynx and larynx, affecting the lungs, making it worse in people with asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.
In terms of treatment, the 2 forms of gastric acid reflux and laryngeal reflux have similar treatment methods. For less severe cases, patients are often recommended to change their diet and lifestyle, avoiding certain foods that cause reflux symptoms. In addition, patients may be prescribed medication or surgery on a case-by-case basis. It is important that the patient strictly follow the instructions of the doctor during the treatment process to reverse the disease and improve the quality of life.