Three years ago, I was still working for a call center when I noticed my voice getting weak. I thought it was just the usual wear-and-tear stuff. Like, sleep it off for the night, and the following day, it would be all good again.
But that wasn’t what happened. As a matter of fact, it worsened, and I woke up one day having trouble speaking. Probably the best way to put it is, I was then squeaking like a frog. Consequently, I was advised by the company nurse to go see an ENT specialist.
After some tests, some “eeeeh” and “aaaah” vocalization procedure I had to go through, the doctor confirmed that my laryngeal problem was secondary to acid reflux.
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She said that the acid that was supposed to stay in my stomach was finding its way up my esophagus and further into my mouth, pharynx and larynx, therefore, the resulting weakening and, ultimately, loss of my voice.
She prescribed some medicines, advised me to properly elevate my head whenever I slept, and told me not to eat acidic, fatty, spicy food, to refrain from eating chocolates, drinking tea, coffee and other caffeinated stuff, to avoid stress.
In short, she advised me to undergo a major lifestyle overhaul.
It wasn’t easy. Eliminating all those food categories from my diet left me with so little choice. But fortunately, little by little, one day at a time, things went for the better. I discovered, it was all a matter of keeping myself armed with information to keep the condition in check.
So here are some things you might want to know about acid reflux:
Acid reflux disease
Acid reflux occurs when the muscle at the entrance of the stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES, fails to properly close or opens too often causing the acid produced by the stomach to go back up the esophagus. In some, this results in a burning chest pain or heartburn.
As a rule of thumb, if symptoms of acid reflux occur at least twice within a week, a person is already suffering from acid reflux disease or GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Causes of GERD
Aside from hiatal hernia, or a condition where the stomach bulges up into the chest through the hiatus – an opening in the diaphragm – there are a number of other risk factors:
- Obesity
- Eating large meals
- Lying down after eating
- Bending down at the waist after a meal
- Eating citrus, spicy, fatty foods, including tomatoes, chocolate, mint, garlic and onions
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Smoking
- Drinking alcoholic beverage, coffee, tea and carbonated drinks
- Taking certain medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen, blood pressure medicines and some forms of muscle relaxants
- Symptoms of acid reflux
- Heartburn
- Bitter or sour-tasting acid from the stomach in the throat or mouth, also known as regurgitation
- Constant burping
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Hiccups
- Hoarseness
- Dry cough or wheezing
- Narrowing of the esophagus, resulting in a feeling of food getting stuck in the throat, also known as dysphagia
- Chronic sore throat
How to prevent acid reflux
The best way to combat acid reflux is to avoid the food and beverages that trigger the symptoms. Also, below are some steps that can be taken:
- Eat small meals frequently
- Avoid ill-fitting clothes or tight belts
- Using extra pillows, elevate the head at least 4 to 6 inches when sleeping
- Lie down at least two to three hours after eating
- Quit smoking
- If you’re obese, start shedding weight through exercise and diet changes
- If you’re on medication for other health conditions, ask your doctor if the medicines you’re taking are triggering acid reflux
- Lifestyle change, in combination with medication such as antacids, PPIs or proton pump inhibitors, can alleviate acid reflux symptions. If all else fails, surgery may also be advised.
Note: This post only aims to provide general information on acid reflux and not to substitute advice from a qualified medical practitioner.
Source: WebMD.com
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woaaa.. heartburn. and I do all the causes for acid reflux.. I think I should quit smoking…waaa
Thanks for sharing a health-related issues like this, we tend to ignore and put aside the little symptoms of our body, well in fact we need to be cautious of what we put inside our mouths and in general our lifestyle.
@ Foodamn, thanks for stopping by. No worries. I just realized some people are not aware that what they might be feeling is already a symptom of acid reflux. 😀
Thanks for the info! I’m not aware of this, takot tuloy ako
I love spicy foods. Ok naman. Hopefully. 😛
Thanks for sharing this kind of info, I’ve never suffered from acid reflux but I eat all the things that you’re not supposed to.. 😛
I hope you feel better and don’t get seriously sick because of this.. 🙂
Tsk tsk tsk… I am really not aware of this one.. I well take a closer look of my health condition now.. Thanks Maricel for this information..
@ Chef … you know what to do … 😀
@ Semidoppel sir … you’re welcome … nah, bawal matakot hehe …
@ Ane, actually, the problem is the sphincter not functioning properly … I’m sure yours is functioning the way it should which is why you don’t experience acid reflux … I’m okay, by the way, although I have to be careful with what I eat.
@ C5 … good for you!
@ Herbert, you’re most welcome!
I’ve had this problem too and the thing I hate the most about this is burping!! It’s so embarrassing. But I still eat the foods which I’m not supposed to. Hirap ng disiplina. T_T
this is why i soooo hate acid reflux because you have to give up eating your favorite food and drinks. i have this for almost 3-4 yrs already and it sucks big time if mutukar.. 🙂
Christina and Rodel, acid reflux really sucks, eh? 😀
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Birne, thank you for visiting!