Acid Reflux Breathing Problems
People suffering form acid reflux, commonly known as heart burn, often suffer from various other kinds of health problems too.
The causes of acid reflux are different in different people. In some people it can even go undetected. Various medicines which give relief can be obtained after consulting a doctor. There are surgerical operations which can be performed to give a long term benefit in preventing acid reflux but again these operations sometimes need to be re-performed after a certain period of time.
Acid reflux breathing problems are one of the most prevalent symptoms.
Snoring or breathing problem: People suffering from acid reflux frequently have breathing problems. Due to acid reflux from the stomach, there is a pressure and a burning sensation felt in the chest whenever a person lies down. This pressure slows down the breathing process and a person becomes breathless, and this acid reflux often causes sleepless nights. Breathing becomes difficult for such people. Snoring can occur in these patients. For people suffering from such breathing problems, it is recommended that they elevate the position of their head while sleeping. This will avoid the acid from the stomach flowing back into the throat thus reducing the pressure on the chest and making breathing clear and easy. Breathing problems can be due to various reasons so a doctor should be consulted first before attempting self treatment
Doctors can prescribe medicines that are quite effective to relieve breathing problems arising from acid reflux. These medicines help reduce this problem to a certain extent but breathing problems can reoccur after the medicines are stopped.
For a long term minimisation of the effects of acid reflux, there are surgical operations which can be performed. In these operationss, the surgeon drops a miniture camera down the throat of a patient, through a tube. He then uses micro-surgery techniques to tighten the weak functioning valve at the entrance of the stomach at the base of the oesophagus, which is the name of the tube which connects stomach and throat. The time needed for this surgery nearly 30 min. and the patient is allowed to go home within a day or two. This surgery may have to be repeated after some time to sustain the benefits.
Thus the breathing problem in acid reflux patients can be cured by consulting a doctor at a proper time.
Some causes of Acid reflux:
The traveling of acid/ contents of stomach to the throat up the oesophagus is called acid reflux. This is mainly caused by weakeness in the valve at the entrance to the stomach aggravated by digestion problems in the stomach due to a range of factors such as eating habits, eating heavy meals, smoking and many more.
Eating Habits: We sometimes eat unhealthy food which are high in calories and fat. This unhealthy food causes problems with digestion, increasing levels of acid in the stomach and can lead to increases the level of unwanted toxins in the body. This in turn can give rise to various health problems. It is very important to know what we are eating, to be healthy.
Excess eating: Over time people often become less aware of how much they eat. Once they sit down at the table for a meal, they go on eating continuously. They tend to eat whatever is displayed on the table, thus becoming overweight. Again, overeating can cause digestion problems, increase of acid in the stomach, and a rise in pressure in the stomach. Over time, this increase in stomach pressure weakens the valve between the stomach and the oesophagus, leading to acid reflux problems.
Smoking: Smokers are often more prone to the reflux because of the rise of nicotine levels in the blood, which is one of the main causes of acid reflux. They also loose their appetite and have nausea towards food. This causes the stomach acids to remain unused, and levels build up in the stomach. If the valve at the entrance stoach is weakened, this can lead to acid reflux.
So these causes should be avoided to keep yourself away from acid reflux.