What Is Sleep Apnea and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD Gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a condition in which the liquid content in the stomach refluxes into the esophagus. This liquid can inflame the lining of the esophagus. Though visible signs of inflammation occur in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin that are produced by the stomach. Pepsin is an enzyme that starts the digestion of proteins in your stomach. The refluxed liquid may also contain bile that has gone-up into the stomach from your duodenum. Acid reflux disease involves more than 20% of Americans. Some 80% of the 60 million Americans who have been diagnosed with acid reflux disease report being worse at night, and three in four say they routinely wake up from sleep because of acid reflux symptoms.

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 your esophagus, irritating its lining and significantly boosting the risk of esophageal cancer.

A few researchers believe that sleep apnea is caused by airway pressure changes that can cause acid reflux to occur, yet other researchers think that the reflux of acids may be a result of spasms of your vocal cords that can then lead to sleep apnea.

Common Causes Of 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 a few minutes. They can occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Normally, normal breathing then starts again, from time to time with a loud snort or choking sound.

Sleep apnea usually is a ongoing that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights a week.

This problem causes poor sleep quality that sometimes 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 one’s throat stiff and open so air can flow into your lungs easily. When you sleep, these muscles are more relaxed. Usually, your relaxed throat muscles won’t keep the airway from staying open to let air into the lungs.

Acid reflux is usually a chronic condition. Once it begins, it usually is life-long. If you have injury to the lining of your esophagus then it is a chronic condition. There are many over the counter and prescription acid reflux treatment options. One of these is Pepcid ac .

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