Acid Reflux: Complications

Those who suffer from Acid Reflux disease should be aware that it could be a sign that there is another issue brewing- one that could even be life threatening.

For one that suffers from acid reflux for a lifetime, it can contribute to some serious conditions. Acid comes up in the esophagus, scars and burns the walls. Food continues down this path, irritating the ulcerated surface, affecting the movement of esophageal contractions; this all adds to the problem.

Often children and infants who suffer from reflux may not actually vomit, but still, the stomach contents can move up the food pipe and spill into the windpipe into the lungs. These children can have asthma, pneumonia, and even SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) can occur. Also of concern, children with reflux who vomit often may not grow as well as they should.

When stomach fluids reflux into the esophagus, it damages the lining. When this occurs, the body will react with inflammation in what is called Erosive Esophagitis.

Ulcers and the additional associated inflammation gives rise to bleeding into the esophagus. Sometimes, the bleeding can be severe and may cause severe anemia and require transfusions of blood and endoscopic or surgical treatments.

All this scar tissue and ulceration of the wall of the food pipe, effectively narrows it, causing a natural barrier to easy passage of food. This makes swallowing difficult. Airways narrowing can cause shortness of breath and wheezing.

After being subjected to gastric acid reflux for such a long time, the cells in the lining of the esophageal wall can change. The cells in the walls can become pre-cancerous, then later cancerous. This condition (Barrett’s esophagus) occurs in roughly 10% of all acid reflux patients. There are more and more people being diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus today.

Finally, there are a bunch of nerves in the lower part of the Esophagus, which get disturbed by the Acid Reflux flushing back. This sometimes result in a pain we call heartburn; other times, these nerves transmit the disturbance to some other nerves, that cause constriction of the lung airways, and cough, causing the patient to get breathless.

Filed under: Diseases

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