Causes and Symptoms of Reflux Laryngitis, and How to Treat and Prevent It

Causes and Symptoms of Reflux Laryngitis,

and How to Treat and Prevent It

An occasional light cough can happen at any time, and since it is not a symptom that seriously threatens your health, you may think it is just a mild throat cold and not seek treatment.

However, if this kind of cough does not go away after a few days and instead lasts for more than three weeks, it is a good idea to find the cause.

Today, let’s look at the causes and symptoms of reflux laryngitis, one of the causes of chronic cough, as well as ways to treat and prevent it.

The food we eat passes through the throat and esophagus and goes down to the stomach, where it is digested by stomach acid and various digestive enzymes and then absorbed in the stomach and intestines.

However, sometimes digestion does not proceed in this way, and stomach acid or stomach contents move backward into the esophagus or throat.

Because stomach acid and stomach contents are highly acidic, reflux into the throat or esophagus can damage the mucous membrane.

Reflux laryngitis is when stomach acid or stomach contents reflux up through the esophagus into the throat, causing inflammation and swelling of the larynx.

The larynx is a passage for air and performs the role of humidifying the air inhaled through the nose and mouth and filtering out foreign substances.

Because the larynx is one of the narrower parts of the upper airway, which includes the vocal cords, if it narrows due to inflammation, air does not pass through well and it can cause breathing difficulties.

There are various causes of reflux laryngitis, and allergies, smoking, and drinking can be among them. Symptoms can also appear when the vocal cords are overused.

If this condition occurs, you may feel as if something is stuck in your throat, and this can lead to a dry cough and throat pain.

Your voice may also become hoarse, and symptoms from this condition are worse during the day than in the morning, and they tend to appear more when standing.

If symptoms are left untreated, severe hypoxia can occur, so if you have suspicious symptoms, it is important to get diagnosed quickly and begin treatment.

To treat the condition, medication is used with acid suppressants taken long enough until symptoms improve, and correcting lifestyle habits is also important.

First, it is good to raise the upper part of the bed when sleeping, avoid lying down right after meals, and refrain from wearing tight clothing.

In addition, to prevent symptoms, it is helpful not to eat within three hours before going to bed, and to avoid drinking alcohol and smoking.

It is also good to avoid beverages such as carbonated drinks and coffee, which can worsen reflux, and if you are obese, reducing weight and maintaining a normal weight can help prevent symptoms.

Today, we looked at what causes and symptoms reflux laryngitis has, as well as ways to treat and prevent symptoms. Please keep this information in mind.