What to do when you have a sore throat caused by gastroesophageal reflux?

The article was consulted with Specialist Doctor II Nguyen Van Thai - Ear, Nose Throat Doctor - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Few people know that gastroesophageal reflux disease not only causes heartburn and transient discomfort, but it also causes sore throat. Pharyngitis caused by gastroesophageal reflux is a dangerous disease and very difficult to treat if not properly diagnosed.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus and throat, causing heartburn, belching and burning pain in the chest along the breastbone.
Over time, reflux irritates the lining of the esophagus, causing it to become inflamed. This is one of the main causes of upper respiratory tract diseases including inflammation/swelling/pain in the throat, laryngitis, which can lead to complications such as bad breath, narrowing of the esophagus, and narrowing of the esophagus. esophagus, esophageal ulcer, esophageal pre-cancer,...
Therefore, it is the stomach medicine prescribed by otolaryngologists that is the solution to help destroy pharyngitis and laryngitis from the original cause. .

Common pharyngitis and reflux pharyngitis are easy to confuse.
In addition to the usual symptoms of pharyngitis including dry throat, sore eyes, itchy and blocked throat.
Pharyngitis due to gastroesophageal reflux is also accompanied by symptoms such as:
● Dizziness in the intestines and liver.
● Burning in the chest behind the breastbone.
● Indigestion, flatulence, constant hiccups, heartburn, nausea,...
However, there are quite a few people who have no symptoms of reflux or sometimes just feel choking, stuck in the throat , chest pain or easily hoarse voice when speaking loudly or talking a lot.
If you feel that your body has abnormal signs, you should go to the doctor soon to get an accurate diagnosis, avoid self-treatment.

Symptomatic treatment ● Medicines to loosen mucus such as: Bromhexin, acetylcysteine,...
● Anti-inflammatory drugs: Alphachymotrypsin, lysozyme,...
Antiallergic drugs: Antihistamines such as cetirizine, chlorpheniramine,..
Cough suppressant: Herbal medicine.
Treatment of the cause of gastric reflux However, chronic pharyngitis with gastroesophageal reflux needs to be treated from the cause of reflux. Some factors that cause gastroesophageal reflux disease can be that the patient's use of fatty foods, carbonated soft drinks or the use of coffee, tea or tobacco also increases the risk of acid reflux. reflux state. Medicines to treat reflux syndrome include:
● Acid neutralizing drugs: Effective in neutralizing gastric acid. Commonly used drugs are: aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide
H2-receptor antagonists: H2-antihistamines reduce acid secretion such as cetirizine, chlorpheniramine,...
● Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): The best acid-blocking drugs : omeprazole, Lansoprazole, esomeprazole,... usually suitable for pharyngo-laryngeal reflux.
However, the long-term use of the drug will lead to reduced acid in the stomach, poorer digestion of food, a full stomach, causing the opposite effect on the lower esophageal sphincter, so reflux can still occur. out. Therefore, only using drugs to overcome temporary reflux, not long-term treatment. Usually, when the disease has progressed badly or the patient has been treated for a long time but is not effective, surgery is necessary method. Surgery helps create a new valve in the myocardium to prevent gastric juices and food from backing up into the esophagus and pharynx.
Precautions

Avoid foods that can irritate the mucosa such as alcoholic beverages, carbonated drinks. Limit eating too much at a time, before going to bed 3 hours, you should also limit eating, should lie with your head elevated when sleeping so that food is not pushed up the esophageal tube. Minimize tobacco use, control weight. Patients should also refrain from wearing clothes that are too tight to digest food more easily. In addition to pharyngitis, gastroesophageal reflux also causes a number of dangerous complications for health such as: Acid reflux into the esophagus, causing the patient to have hoarseness, laryngitis, esophageal bleeding, ulcers. Esophageal stricture, esophageal stricture, esophageal cancer, ...
Therefore, when there are unusual signs of health, patients should go to the doctor early to avoid self-treatment when the disease has not been diagnosed.
BSCK II Nguyen Van Thai was formerly a Doctor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the Department of Otolaryngology - Hue Central Hospital with more than 17 years of treatment experience, especially in the field of Head and Neck Surgery. Currently, he is an Otolaryngologist at the Inter-Specialist Clinic of the Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine, Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Reference source: Ministry of Health