Chronic acid reflux causes some uncomfortable and annoying symptoms. If you’ve tried every at-home remedy you can find for your chronic acid reflux and found little to no relief, it’s time to visit an ENT specialist for help.
Signs You Should See an ENT for Reflux
ENT specialists can help with any conditions that affect your throat and voice box. While reflux is a stomach issue, the stomach acid that comes up into your esophagus and pharynx can cause damage to your throat and voice, and even your sinuses in some cases. If your reflux is causing any of the following symptoms, you should definitely consider adding an ENT to your care team:
- Sore throat
- Persistent cough
- Scratchy voice or losing your voice
- Clearing your throat often
- The sensation of excess mucus sticking in your throat
- The sensation of a lump obstructing the throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Ragged breathing or wheezing
An ENT will work with you to prevent reflux-related complications from occurring in the throat and upper airways, such as frequent infections, respiratory problems and vocal issues.
Potential Throat Treatments for Reflux
After your initial consultation and any testing and diagnostics, your ENT will recommend possible treatments for dealing with your chronic reflux. Here are some they may suggest. Note that this list is not exhaustive, nor is it meant to act as a substitute for an in-person consultation and personalized recommendation.
Lifestyle and Diet Modifications
Modifications of this sort are the first step in reflux management. As you may know, certain foods and lifestyle choices may worsen reflux, so eliminating those in favor of healthier choices can help alleviate some of the worst of your reflux symptoms. These choices might include:
- Diet changes (avoiding foods that exacerbate reflux, like fried foods and fatty foods, and eating more foods that help alleviate reflux, like bananas and leafy greens)
- Losing weight
- Drink less alcohol and quit smoking
- Elevating your head at night
- Sleeping on your side
Medication
If lifestyle modifications didn’t bring the relief you need, medications are the next thing to try.
Antacids are a common choice; they’re widely available over-the-counter and work relatively quickly. Antacids can’t be a long-term solution, however, as they can have adverse effects if they’re taken frequently, and the stomach will actually increase acid production as a result.
Histamine blockers, also called H2 blockers, are prescription medications that lower stomach acid levels by blocking the chemical that tells your body to produce it. These, too, aren’t a long-term treatment option, as your body may adapt to their effects and lower your success.
Another prescription medication option is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These also suppress stomach acid production, and they heal some of the damage to your esophagus done by stomach acid.
Surgical Intervention
If it’s determined that your reflux has the capacity to cause significant complications to your throat, airways and voice, we may recommend surgery as a more aggressive treatment approach. Some patients don’t find the relief they need from the above options, and others prefer surgery as a one-time fix, rather than taking medications long-term. Some possibilities include Nissen fundoplication, transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) or implanting a LINX device.
If you’ve been seeking relief from reflux and need an ENT’s opinion, call us today. We’d be happy to answer your questions, learn more about your symptoms and determine the best course of treatment for you. Contact Palmetto ENT & Allergy today to learn more.