Acid Reflux Cough

Food is the fuel for the body. If we have the right diet and the same is digested well by the body, you definitely would enjoy a healthy life. However, this ideal situation is a little too hard to achieve. About 20% of the people experience acid reflux symptoms due to digestive concerns.

Our stomach has certain acids, which are not meant to be elsewhere except in our stomach. Due to the weakening of the LES valve due to poor diet, drinking or smoking, these are diverted out of the stomach. This causes inflammation in the tube that connects the mouth, throat and the stomach. One of the symptoms of the same would be acid reflex cough.

Usually when the above mentioned happens it results in heartburn or chest pain, which might be confused as a heart attack – it is that painful. The reason why it would result in cough would be that the secretion of the acid would not be that much to cause inflammation; the amount is enough to cause irritation, which reflects as cough. On the contrary, at times the fluid is so much that it spills over to the lungs, which might result in bronchitis or pneumonia. In certain cases, it has been observed that cough is caused by the medication taken for heartburn as well.

Most of the times, the persistent cough is misdiagnosed as the one caused by acid reflux is difficult to detect. The simplest way of understanding the acid reflux cough is when the person experiences cough and heartburn. A breathing test could also tell tale of the same. If you have acid reflux, cough and you are taking cough suppressant, which are taken when you have cold – this would not work, as the root cause is not cold but the acid. Nitrates, antacids, proton pump or beta-blockers could help remedy the situation.