Acid reflux

Further Information

• Canadian Digestive Health Foundation
• YourDigestiveHealth.ca
• The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research

Interactive Learning

Acid reflux is a condition where gastric juices containing acid travel back from the stomach into the esophagus (swallowing tube). Some people experience this problem regularly and have a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

The food in the stomach is partially digested by stomach acid and enzymes. Normally, the partially digested acidic content in the stomach is delivered by the stomach muscle into the small intestine for further digestion. In patients with acid reflux, stomach acid content refluxes backwards into the esophagus, causing inflammation and damage.

It can affect many aspects of a person's way of life, for example by causing sleepless nights, affecting their ability to work, limiting social activities and generally making the sufferer irritable and unhappy.

Risk Factors

Factors contributing to acid reflux include fatty foods, cigarettes, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, obesity, pregnancy and delayed stomach emptying. Obesity and pregnancy increase pressures within the abdomen (body trunk), pushing the stomach contents into the esophagus.

Some patients have stomachs that empty contents into the intestines very slowly. A stomach full of food and acid is more prone to reflux, especially when the patient lies down (supine).

Symptoms

Symptoms of acid reflux include heartburn (a burning feeling rising from the stomach or lower chest up towards the neck), regurgitation (food or fluid coming up into the mouth), chest pain, difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia), hoarseness, dental diseases and asthma.

Treatment

Medications commonly used in the treatment of acid refux include proton-pump inhibitors and H₂-receptor antagonists. These reduce the production of acid in the stomach, and prokinetic agents, which work by increasing the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter and promoting emptying of the stomach.

Antacids are medicines that are commonly used to treat acid-related symptoms, like heartburn or indigestion, and work by neutralizing acid in the stomach. However, they are not usually recommended to treat the frequent heartburn suffered by people with GERD.