The Heartburn & Acid Reflux Blog

Caffeine May Cause Heartburn

I was reading through an article on the side effects of caffeine (one of the things I'm having a hard time giving up completely is my diet coke--I'm still drinking about a can or bottle a day), and it doesn't look like small dosages bother most people, but apparently if you consume a lot of caffeine (i.e. 1000 mg or about ten 6-oz cups of coffee a day), then it could cause heartburn. 

Other side effects at that dosage can be problems with conception and bowel irregularity.  Even people who drink less aren't off the hook for side effects.  Those who consume 250 mg a day, may experience insomnia, restlessness, irritability, nervousness, headaches, hand tremors, extra heartbeats and an inability to concentrate.

Though I don't think many of us are willing to give up our caffeine beverage of choice (whether it's diet coke with lime, or the more popular coffee drinks), it's definitely a good idea to limit intake if possible...

Source: Caffeine from UM University Health Service

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"

Lumpy Throat and Hoarseness Can Be Acid Reflux

Most of us associate acid reflux with heartburn, that burning sensation in the center of the chest or chest pain that can be bad enough it mimicks a heart attack.  Acid reflux can strike higher up, however. If you have hoarseness or a lumpy feeling in the throat, it could be Laryngopharyngeal acid reflux, which specifically attacks the throat.  The body responds by producing a lot of mucus, and that makes it feel thicker back there.  It's not usually painful the way typical acid reflux is, but it can cause damage, so it's important not to ignore it.  "Your larynx is literally 100 times more sensitive than your stomach, so the damage there is a little more extensive over a shorter period of time."

You should see your doctor if you suspect Laryngopharyngeal acid reflux might be your problem.  I would like to stress, however, that it's a good idea to be tested for food allergies, if you haven't.  I had a hoarse throat and was even losing my voice at times, and I thought it might be related to my acid reflux problems.  It turned out I had a boat-load of food allergies (which also ended up being the cause of my heartburn!) and all I needed to do was stop eating certain foods.  Please don't let a doctor put you on some drug without investigating this possibility.

Quote from "Lumpy Throat? It Might Be Acid Reflux."

Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease

What does acid reflux feel like?  How do you know if you have it?  Well, here's a look at the common symptoms of acid reflux (keep in mind, not everyone will have all the symptoms):

• chest pain
• nausea
• a burning feeling in the chest or a feeling of fullness or undigested food
• night time acid reflux symptoms can include coughing and asthma

Because heartburn can mimick a heart attack, always rule that out first.  See your doctor and make sure your heart is healthy. 

Also read What Is Acid Reflux for a basic overview.

Lactose Intolerance

The other day, my mother pointed out that lactose intolerance runs in our family.  Both my father and my grandfather had problems, though I never heard that they had anything except gas.  I did come across a few people posting on forums, though, who said they were lactose intolerant and did have heartburn (sometimes even 2-3 days after consuming something with milk in it) from consuming dairy.  I'm still waiting to hear back on the results of my food allergies test (which should let me know if I have problems with dairy), but in the meantime, I started looking up foods with milk in them, and it's a surprisingly long list (chocolate, butter--even artificial butter--, some breads, ice cream, cheese, and a bunch of other things that you might not realize have milk as an ingredient).

Here's a list of all the code names for milk in case you want to start checking labels for products because you believe you may be lactose intolerant. 

Is Your Asthma Actually Hearthburn?

I mentioned the link between asthma and heartburn a couple weeks ago, and today I came across an article that touched on it.  It sounds like some doctors are mis-diagnosing asthma (calling it asthma when the patient is actually suffering from chronic heartburn).  "Some coughing and wheezing experienced by asthma patients could be caused not by asthma, but heartburn, researchers say."  This is particularly true for people who suffer from acid reflux and don't know it (apparently, the symptoms aren't always obvious).  So, if they're treated for asthma, when their problem is actually acid reflux, they could be focusing on the wrong thing.  Not good since acid reflux can damage the esophagus over time...

Source: Heartburn Could Be Hidden Asthma Trigger

Candidiasis (Candida) Test

I'm reading all about Candida right now.  If I'm getting this right, it's a yeast that resides in your GI system, and it can inflame the gut walls to provoke gas, bloating, indigestion, or alternating constipation and diarrhea.  Or it can also inflame the lower esophagus/stomach to cause burning or heartburn.  Apparently, it grows rampant especially if you've taken antibiotics that killed off the bacteria in your body (good as well as bad).  It can also come from diets high in sugar, medications like prednisone, birth control pills, and synthetic estrogens.  It sounds like it can be responsible for all sorts of problems.  I found a test (questionnaire) online that you can take to see if you're a likely candidate for Candida problems:

Candidiasis Self-Assessment Testing