Many of us are familiar with acid reflux, and if you’re a parent you're probably aware of silent reflux in babies, but what about silent reflux in adults? Let's explore more in this article ...
Acid reflux vs. Silent reflux
Chronic acid reflux, also known as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) is a condition where stomach acid and its contents travel up into the oesophagus, causing heartburn and indigestion.Â
However, in silent reflux (aka Laryngopharyngeal Reflux), the contents of the stomach travels higher up into the throat and voice box, causing irritation to the voice, throat and sinuses. Silent reflux can cause irritation and damage to the nose, throat, voice box, sinuses, lungs or windpipe.
Sadly it is often misdiagnosed or a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor), such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, is prescribed which provides patients with little or no relief from symptoms.
The reason it is referred to as silent reflux is that, unlike GERD, patients rarely experience heartburn.
What are the symptoms of silent reflux?
A persistent cough, hoarse voice or mucus in the throat
Excessive throat clearing or burping?
Recurrent ear infections, blocked ears or postnasal drip
The constant feeling of a lump or 'something stuck' in your throat
Difficulty swallowing
Coughing after eating or lying down
Breathing difficulties or choking episodes
What causes silent reflux
For stomach acid to reach the throat, it has to pass two gateways; the lower and upper oesophageal sphincter. A weakened oesophageal sphincter can contribute to the symptoms of silent reflux, as well as GERD, but nine times out of ten, silent reflux is caused by bile acid reflux.
Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver (and stored in the gallbladder) that helps to breakdown fats from your diet, as well as eliminate waste products from the body. If your bile is not flowing properly (known as biliary sludge) from the liver to the gallbladder, this can cause a build up of bile, which can flow back up into the stomach and oesophagus. Backed up bile can cause pain, nausea and irritation, as well as digestive complaints (constipation or diarrhoea).
What can you do to help silent reflux?
All too often, people put up with their symptoms (be it sinus problems, excessive mucus or ear pain) assuming they are unrelated or there is nothing that can be done to improve them.
But there is so much that can be done to improve digestion and symptoms of silent reflux through our lifestyle and diet. This includes:
Nutrition recommendations
Cut down on processed and fried fatty foods in your diet.
Reduce simple carbohydrates (white bread/pasta, sweets, chocolate) that can disrupt blood sugar and cholesterol! Raised cholesterol is one factor that can contribute to bile sludge.
Add in foods that support the flow of bile such as artichokes, beetroot, bitter leaves, cinnamon and fennel.
Supplement with Phosphatidylcholine to support bile flow.*
Lifestyle recommendations
Whilst working on getting your bile moving again, there are some general lifestyle recommendations for reducing reflux:
Raise the head of the bed or use a reflux pillow.
Sleep on your left-hand side, allowing your stomach and its gastric juices to remain lower than the oesophagus.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals to support digestion.
Don’t eat too late at night; dinner should be at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Avoid or reduce foods which relax the oesophageal sphincter (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, tomatoes and spicy foods).
If this sounds familiar or you would like to discuss whether you may have silent reflex, then book a call with Sophie who is an accredited reflux practitioner for Digestion with Confidence. This is a free complimentary call.
*Please note: Supplements should be taken under the guidance of a doctor or a Nutritional therapist. If you are taking prescription medication you should inform your GP before taking supplements. Taking different supplements together could result in excessive doses of common ingredients, or there may be contraindications against your medication.
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