There Are Many Over The Counter and Prescription Acid Reflux Treatment Options
Acid reflux disease, commonly referred to as acid reflux, is a condition where by the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus. The liquid can harm the lining of your esophagus. Although visible signs of irritation occur in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin which are produced by the stomach. Pepsin is an enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach. The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has backed-up into the stomach from the duodenum. Acid reflux disease affects more than 20% of Americans. At least 80% of the 60 million Americans who have been diagnosed with acid reflux disease recount being worse at night, and three out of four say they routinely wake up from sleep because of it.
This connection between sleep apnea and acid reflux makes perfect sense because when you’re awake, gravity helps keep acids required to digest food down where they belong, in the stomach. But when you’re lying down, these acids can leak back into the esophagus, irritating its lining and significantly increasing the risk of esophageal cancer.
A number of researchers believe that obstructive sleep apnea results in airway pressure changes that can cause acid reflux to occur, yet other researchers assume that the reflux of acids may be caused by spasms of the vocal cords that can then lead to sleep apnea.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which person has one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while they sleep.
The Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They can occur 5 to 30 times or more per hour. Normally, normal breathing then begins again, from time to time with a loud snort or choking noise.
Sleep apnea usually is a ongoing that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights of the week.
This disturbance results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
When you’reawake, your throat muscles help keep your airway stiff and open so air can flow into your lungs without restriction. When you’re asleep, these muscles are more relaxed. Usually, the relaxed throat muscles will not keep your airway from staying open to let air into your lungs.
Acid reflux is more often than not a frequent condition. When it begins, it is usually a life-long condition If there is injury to the lining of the esophagus this also is a chronic condition. There are many over the counter and prescription acid reflux treatment options. One of these is Nexium .
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