What Is the Connection Between Acid Reflux and Asthma?
Acid reflux and asthma are closely linked conditions. Many people with asthma also have acid reflux disease and episodes of acid reflux can worsen asthma symptoms. Treating the acid reflux will help ease the patient’s asthma symptoms and increase patient comfort. A patient with asthma who experiences random wheezing, nighttime coughing, burning sensations in the throat, and a hoarse voice may want to be evaluated for acid reflux. It is important to be aware that in laryngopharyngeal reflux, also known as silent acid reflux, heartburn is not present, and the patient can be sick without having the classic symptoms associated with acid reflux disease. In patients with acid reflux and asthma, when stomach acid rises up the esophagus and irritates the area around the larynx, it can trigger a sympathetic response in the bronchial passages. The bronchial passages are designed to keep anything other than air out of the lungs. When they sense the presence of stomach acid, they narrow down, lead
