Understanding GERD and LPR: Key Differences, Symptoms, and Solutions for Lasting Relief in Wolcott, CT
What are GERD and LPR?
Acid reflux occurs when acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the tube connecting the throat to the stomach.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) happens when this acid flow remains in the esophagus, leading to classic heartburn symptoms.
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) occurs when stomach acid travels further up, reaching the throat or voice box.
GERD and LPR may have overlapping symptoms, including heartburn, throat soreness, hoarseness, and a sensation of a “lump” in the throat. However, LPR can often lack traditional heartburn, leading to frequent throat clearing, excess mucus, and even voice changes.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Patients with GERD or LPR may experience regurgitation, belching, coughing, and difficulty swallowing. LPR, in particular, can present without heartburn but with throat irritation, hoarseness, or chronic coughing. For children, symptoms may include coughing, breathing issues, and trouble gaining weight. To diagnose GERD and LPR, doctors may use tools like endoscopy, pH testing, and X-rays to determine the presence and severity of acid reflux.
Causes and Lifestyle Changes
Both GERD and LPR can result from physical and lifestyle factors. Weak muscles in the lower esophagus, hiatal hernias, and slow stomach emptying can contribute to reflux. Lifestyle changes can make a difference; limiting caffeine, fatty foods, and alcohol, eating smaller meals, and avoiding meals near bedtime are beneficial. Weight loss, quitting smoking, and wearing loose clothing can also help alleviate symptoms.
Treatment Options
Treatment begins with lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments. Medications, such as antacids or proton pump inhibitors, are often prescribed for persistent symptoms, but it can take one to three months to see results. For severe cases or when medication is ineffective, surgery may be considered. Procedures like fundoplication or the use of magnetic beads can strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter to prevent acid reflux.
Seeking Help & Treatment
If you experience symptoms of GERD or LPR, such as heartburn, throat irritation, or voice changes more than twice a week, please contact Naugatuck Valley ENT to explore treatment options—from medications to lifestyle changes—that can help manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. Contact us at (203) 578-4630 to schedule a consultation.
Speech and Swallow Condition Services at Naugatuck Valley ENT
- Aging and Swallowing issues are common as we age. Swallowing is a complex process that changes over time, and swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) can be associated with aging. Changes in the tongue, upper throat (pharynx), vocal cords, voice box (larynx), and lower throat (esophagus) occur with aging. It has been estimated that more than 20 percent of individuals over the age of 50 experience dysphagia.
- Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie) is a condition where the tongue cannot move normally because it is attached to the floor of the mouth by the frenulum, which is too tight. The lingual frenulum is the band of tissue that connects the undersurface of your tongue to the bottom part of the mouth.
- Aspiration is a medical term for accidentally inhaling your food or liquid through your vocal cords into your airway, instead of swallowing through your food pipe, or esophagus, and into your stomach. Once past the vocal folds, the food or drink enters your windpipe or trachea and can pass into your lungs. It sometimes happens to healthy people who have food “going down the wrong pipe” while swallowing.
- Burning Mouth Syndrome, also known as glossodynia, refers to pain or a hot, burning sensation in the mouth or oral cavity. Patients usually experience it on the tongue, but some feel burning in multiple areas of the mouth, including the lips, top, or bottom of the mouth. As many as 15 percent of the population can experience symptoms at some point in their lives, but less than one percent of patients report continuous burning symptoms.
- Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate are when the roof of your mouth is split with or without the lip being separated. Oral clefts are one of the most common birth defects. A child can be born with a cleft lip and palate or a cleft in just one area.
- Cricopharyngeal Muscle Dysfunction occurs when the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPM) in your throat malfunctions or is impaired. This can cause you to have difficulty swallowing. The top valve of your esophagus (food pipe) is called the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) or pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). The CPM separates the esophagus and throat. Unlike most muscles, the CPM remains flexed and tightly closed unless nerves signal it to relax.
- Dysphagia means that you can’t swallow well. Dysphagia is not a diagnosis; it is a symptom. Many factors may cause dysphagia, and most are temporary and non-life-threatening. In uncommon situations, swallowing difficulties can be related to a tumor or a nerve system disorder. It happens to people of all ages, but more often in the elderly.
- GERD and LPR are conditions when acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the swallowing tube that leads from the back of the throat to the stomach. When acid repeatedly “refluxes” from the stomach into the esophagus alone, it is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, if the stomach acid travels up the esophagus and spills into the throat or voice box (called the pharynx/larynx), it is known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
- Hoarseness (also called dysphonia) is an abnormal change in the quality of your voice, making it sound raspy, strained, breathy, weak, higher or lower in pitch, inconsistent, or fatigued. This often makes it harder to talk. This usually happens when there is a problem in the vocal cords (or folds) of your voice box (larynx) that produce sound.
- Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) is a voice disorder that causes involuntary spasms or contractions of the vocal cords. These spasms interrupt speech and affect the quality of a person’s voice. Depending on the type of SD, the voice may sound broken, strained, or breathy. Although SD can start at any time during life, it seems to begin more often in middle age. The disorder affects women more often than men.
- Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain “TMJ” pain is a common occurrence for many people, and it refers to pain or discomfort in the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). This is the hinge that connects your temporal bone (the bone that forms the side of the skull) and your mandible (the lower jaw) in front of your ear, making it possible for you to open and close your mouth.
- Tonsillitis, also known as pharyngitis, refers to inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils, which are lymph glands located in the back of the throat and visible through the mouth. Tonsillitis typically happens suddenly (acute). Some patients experience recurrent acute episodes of tonsillitis, while others develop persistent (chronic) tonsillitis.
- Tonsils and Adenoids are part of the immune system and help protect the body from disease. They “sample” bacteria and viruses that enter through the mouth or nose. Unfortunately, sometimes, they can get infected or cause problems by being too large. Tonsils are the two round lumps in the back of your throat. Adenoids are high in the throat behind the nose and the roof of the mouth (your soft palate).
- Vocal Cord (Fold) Paralysis can result from abnormal function of the nerves that control your voice box muscles (laryngeal muscles). People have one set of two vocal cords, also known as vocal folds, that work together in your voice box to produce sound.
- Voice Box (Laryngeal) Cancer is not as well known by the general public as some other types of cancer, yet it is not a rare disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 13,000 new cases of laryngeal cancer annually.
If you’re experiencing a speech or swallowing-related condition, don’t let it hinder your health and well-being any longer. At Naugatuck Valley ENT, we have the expertise and resources to diagnose, treat, and manage your conditions effectively. Our dedicated team of professionals is ready to provide exceptional care. Contact us today at (203) 578-4630 to schedule a consultation.
