Treat Your Acid Reflux Now

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Of note, GERD itself poses no significant risk for esophageal cancer. One study reported an annual incidence of 6.5 cancer cases per 10,000 people with regular GERD symptoms.

Complications of Stricture

If the esophagus becomes severely injured over time, narrowed regions called strictures can develop, which may impair swallowing (dysphagia). Food may even become blocked in some cases. Stretching procedures or surgery may be required to restore normal swallowing. Paradoxically, strictures may actually prevent other GERD symptoms by helping to keep acid from traveling up the esophagus.

Asthma and Other Respiratory Disorders

Asthma. Asthma and GERD often occur together. Studies report that reflux disorder coincides with between 32% and 80% of asthma cases. Some theories for the causal connection between GERD and asthma are as follows:

• Acid leaking from the lower esophagus in GERD stimulates the vagus nerves, which run through the gastrointestinal tract. These stimulated nerves in turn trigger the nearby airways in the lung to constrict, which causes asthma symptoms.
• Acid back-up that reaches the mouth may be inhaled into the airways (aspirated). Here, the acid triggers a reaction in the airways that cause asthma symptoms.

There is some evidence that asthma causes GERD. In contrast, some evidence suggests that GERD causes asthma. Some clinical trials report that treating GERD in patients who also have asthma reduces symptoms of both conditions. Not all such patients report improved asthma symptoms with GERD treatments, and they do not appear to have much effect on actual lung function. One study suggested that this approach works in asthmatic individuals who tended to be overweight and to have severe GERD in the lower part of the esophagus.

Other Respiratory and Airway Conditions. Current studies indicate an association between GERD and various upper respiratory problems that occur in the sinuses, ear and nasal passages, and airways of the lung. People with GERD appear to have an above-average risk for chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring), and recurrent pneumonia. If a person inhales fluid from the esophagus (aspirates) into the lungs, serious pneumonia can occur. It is not yet known whether treatment of GERD would also reduce the risk for these respiratory conditions.