Acid Reflux


Alright so this may not be the most thrilling post ever, but if you've struggled with acid reflux, it's worth the read. And you may not even be aware that you do struggle with acid reflux! At least I wasn't aware…

As a child I would often tell my parents that my throat felt "tight." It was difficult to explain, and the throat specialist they took me to as a child said I was fine. So I went on with life and tried my best to ignore this odd feeling.

Sometimes my throat would feel "tighter" than others - usually after eating. And it wasn't until I was in college that my allergy doctor informed me that this feeling was likely due to acid reflux.

This was really surprising to me because although I had heartburn at times, I rarely felt the searing acidic burn in my stomach/throat that most people associate with acid reflux.

After learning this, I took Nexium for a while but soon forgot all about my acid reflux issues.

It wasn't until this past January that my acid reflux came back WITH A VENGEANCE.

One night I was lying on my stomach on my bed while working on my laptop. I had some Dr. Pepper and felt the carbonation in my stomach. After a hiccup/burp I went to breathe in - AND COULDN'T. I couldn't breathe!

I leapt off my bed and hurdled towards my door. My parents were around and as I gasped for air I headed towards my Mom. It felt like I was breathing through a coffee straw, unable to get air in. And the more I tried to take deep breaths in - the less air I seemed to get in. My mom's eyes were filled with panic and she rushed to get me my inhaler (I have asthma), but asthma wasn't causing this!

After calming down, my throat seemed to relax and I could breathe again. It was probably the scariest minute of my life.

Immediately I scheduled a doctor's appointment and found out that it was ACID REFLUX! I couldn't believe it - so much so that I went to a throat specialist and got a second opinion!

Apparently, if the stomach acid (which is incredibly powerful) gets into contact with one's vocal cords, the vocal cords react by SLAMMING SHUT. The more you panic and try to suck air in, the vocal cords inversely slam shut. My doctor also put a scope in my nose and looked down into my throat where she saw that my vocal cords were inflamed (from the contact with the acid) and would take a little while to heal. While they were healing, it was more likely that this would happen again.

The thought of it happening again terrified me! But she told me that if it happens, to remind myself that I need to relax and it will pass faster. Remind myself that it was just acid reflux and only very temporary.

And it did happen again - twice. Both times I was asleep, late at night, and I'd leap out of bed, unable to breathe. Whenever you can't get air in, it is VERY HARD to stay calm! But the more you relax, the sooner it will end.

Since then I've been taking 40mg of Omeprazole I haven't had any recurring episodes.

Lately I've been bad about what I'm eating, and maybe writing this post will help put me back on track. Those with acid reflux should avoid eating while laying down, coffee, acidic things, fast food, pepper, chocolate/sugar, eating a few hours before bed, spicy food and I'm sure many other things that I've forgotten…

And although this whole situation was really tough, it taught me a lot. And it taught my family a few things too.

My Dad has Leukemia and he's been struggling for the past handful of years with swallowing food. So he's taken to eating mostly soup. But after my whole acid reflux debacle, I told my doctor about my dad in passing, and he suggested that he get on acid reflux medicine too! Since he started, he hasn't had any choking episodes.

Maybe that's why I had to go through all of this - to help find answers for my Dad. MD Anderson couldn't figure out his choking issue, but my allergy doctor did! Go figure!?

Anyway…if you've struggled with "tight throat," choking issues or moments when you simply couldn't breathe - you should definitely go see the doctor and look into acid reflux medicine!

Need Immediate Relief?
+Drink Aloe Vera Juice (YES FOR REAL)
+Cut out all sugar/spice/sodas
+Sleep more upright, with a wedge/pillow beneath you
+DO NOT EAT within three hours of going to bed





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