About This Blog

  • Why a Heartburn Blog?
    Back in 2003-2005, I had so much trouble with heartburn (acid reflux, GERD, call it what you like), I couldn't sleep at night because it felt like I was having a heart attack. I'd end up getting a couple hours sitting propped up in a chair. I was only 25 at the time! I always felt lousy, and I had RSI, acne, headaches, and other issues, too (only later did I find out this was all related).

    The doctors wanted me to take prescription-strength acid-blocking pills every day; I was afraid of what taking this stuff all the time might do, and it didn't even help that much. Finally, I came across a couple of books that led me to get tested for food allergies; it turned out I was gluten- and dairy-intolerant. When I eliminated these foods from my diet, my heartburn and acid reflux symptoms disappeared within a couple weeks (my other health problems gradually went away as well).

    I stopped posting to this blog when my problems went away, but recently I've seen so much utter BS on the web (buy my ebook and I'll cure your heartburn!) that it made me want to start posting again. I'm not a doctor, so please find a natural practitioner (or at least a doctor who will help you look for root causes rather than prescribing drugs) to deal with your own problems. But if you find this blog more useful than the sites trying to scam you into buying get-well-yesterday products, please link to it and let's try to help some people...

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July 16, 2006

Clearing Your Throat--Not Allergies But Acid Reflux?

If find yourself clearing your throat a lot, and you don't have a history of allergies, and you're not recovering from a cold, it could be a symptom of acid reflux.  Most people associate acid reflux with symptoms of heart burn, but you could actually have laryngopharyngeal reflux, or LPR.  This happens when small amounts of acid escape into the esophagus and splash down the windpipe, or pharynx, which causes tissue injury--especially to the voicebox, or larynx.  Doctors say that less than 14% of patients with LPR experience heartburn.   However, this is still a serious condition, and you should see a doctor.

Aside from frequent throat clearing, other symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux can include hoarseness, chronic cough, asthma (especially if you didn't have childhood asthma), tenderness in the voicebox region, and changes in the voice.

Source: "Clearing of Throat; Acid Reflux Linked"

Posted at 03:06 PM in Symptoms & Side Affects |

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Comments

Deneen

I also seem to have a sensation of loosing air if I'm positioned a certain way and/or if I belch I get some relief. It feels like something is in my throat. I do have all the other symptoms. The two I've listed are they common?

Posted by: Deneen | November 29, 2006 at 05:22 PM

Zach Parker

aclid reflux can be pretty much be solved without using expensive drugs. Now that's not to say that drugs can help and are somethings mandatory if recommended by your doctor, but a lot of times natural solutions, for example, certain kinds of food, can go along ways to helping your acid reflux.

Posted by: Zach Parker | April 19, 2008 at 09:27 AM

warplayer

Wow, I honestly never knew about this - but I experience this. I will have to ask my doctor the next time I am in.

The hypochondriac in me I was actually theorizing that I might be developing a deviated septum or something, but what you described here sounds much more accurate to what I feel.

Posted by: warplayer | June 04, 2008 at 03:45 PM

Anthony Drayton

It feels as if something is in my throat, and I can't sing as high as I usually sing. It's like it's limiting me. I also have a hard time breathing. I have been experiencing this for a month, what could it be?

Posted by: Anthony Drayton | November 06, 2009 at 04:32 PM

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