Acid reflux disease, commonly referred to as acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid contents in the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus. This contents can harm the lining of your esophagus. Although visible signs of irritation occur in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid mostly contains acid and pepsin which are produced by the stomach. Pepsin is an enzyme that starts the digestion of proteins in your stomach. The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has gone-up into the stomach from your duodenum. Acid reflux disease affects more than 20% of Americans. Some 80% of the 60 million Americans who have been diagnosed with acid reflux disease recount worse symptoms at night, and three in four say they routinely wake up from sleep because of it.
This relationship between sleep apnea and acid reflux makes perfect sense because when you’re awake, gravity helps keep acids needed to digest food down where they belong, in the stomach. But when you’re lying down, these acids can wash back into your esophagus, irritating the lining and significantly growing the risk of esophageal cancer.
A number of researchers believe that obstructive sleep apnea is caused by airway pressure changes that can cause acid reflux to occur, still other researchers believe that the reflux of acids may be caused by spasms of your vocal cords that can then lead to sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which person has one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
These Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Usually, Typically, normal breathing then begins again, occasionally with a loud snort or choking sound.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights each 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.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
When we’re awake, the muscles help keep one’s throat stiff and open so air can flow into your lungs easily. When sleeping, these muscles are more relaxed. Normally, your relaxed throat muscles will not keep the airway from staying open to let air into the lungs.
Acid reflux is usually a frequent condition. After it begins, it usually is life-long. If there is injury to the lining of your esophagus then it is a chronic condition. There are many over the counter and even prescription acid reflux treatment options that can help you. One popular option is Pepcid ac .
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