Acid Reflux Cough
Can a persistent cough be attributed to acid reflux disease? More than 30% of people with persistent or chronic cough have been diagnosed with acid reflux cough, even without any of the other more common symptoms like heartburn. Actually, many people with acid reflux cough will not experience heartburn at all.
Acid reflux is a condition in which the fluids of the stomach back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. These fluids can be stomach acid, pepsin, or bile. The stomach produces these fluids in order to digest food, but often too much is produced as a result of overeating or taking too many antacids. When the fluids reflux into the esophagus, it commonly causes heartburn because the majority of the fluid is acidic. However, sometimes it is just the bile or a very small amount of fluid that refluxes. In these situations there may not be enough acid to cause heartburn, but plenty to cause cough.
Acid reflux cough with heartburn can be caused by a large amount of liquid being pushed into the esophagus. There may even be enough fluid that some of it can spill over into the lungs, causing a persistent cough. If this is happening often, it is a good idea to talk it over with your doctor because it could lead to other health problems.
Acid reflux cough is not likely going to be alleviated much from a cough syrup. An antacid might be a better remedy for this kind of cough. Be careful about taking too much antacid or for too long. The purpose of antacid is to neutralize the acid in the stomach. This is good if the stomach is finished digesting and you are only neutralizing excess acids. This is bad if there is still food in the stomach to be digested because then the stomach will work overtime to make more acid. Add this to the fluids that are neutralized but still in your stomach and soon there will be too much fluid and it will have no choice but to regurgitate.
Acid reflux cough can also be caused by some medications. Common heart medications like nitrates and beta blockers have been known to cause cough associated with acid reflux.
Certain health problems can exacerbate acid reflux resulting in acid reflux cough. Asthma and diabetes are two that are known to commonly either cause acid reflux or make it worse. Many asthmatics associate their cough and wheezing with their asthma, and while it certainly can be a contributor, acid reflux cough can be present as well. Before overusing your inhaler, ask your doctor to test you for acid reflux cough. Inhalers are expensive and overuse can cause some serious side effects.
There are tests that can be done from home or in your doctor’s office to find out if your cough is an acid reflux cough. Some newer tests are as simple and painless as breathing into a tube to get your results. If you are experiencing chronic and persistent cough and nothing you do seems to help, you may be experiencing acid reflux cough. Talk to your doctor and find out the best way to care for your acid reflux.
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