Acid reflux disease, commonly referred to as acid reflux, is a condition where by the liquid content in the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The contents can harm the lining of the 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 may also contain bile that has gone-up into the stomach from your duodenum. Acid reflux disease involves more than 20% of Americans. Some 80% of the 60 million Americans who have been diagnosed with acid reflux disease report being worse at night, and three in four say they routinely wake up from sleep because of acid reflux symptoms.
This connection between sleep apnea and acid reflux makes perfect sense because when you’re awake, gravity helps keep acids required to digest food down where they belong, in the stomach. But when you’re lying down, these acids can leak back into your esophagus, damaging its lining and significantly boosting the risk of esophageal cancer.
A number of researchers believe that obstructive sleep apnea results in airway pressure changes that can cause acid reflux to occur, still other researchers think that the reflux of acids may be a result of spasms of your vocal cords that can then lead to sleep apnea.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a widespread disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
The Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They can 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 ongoing that interrupts your sleep 3 or more nights a week.
This problem results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
When you’reawake, the muscles help keep one’s throat stiff and open so air can flow into your lungs without restriction. When sleeping, these muscles are more relaxed. Normally, your relaxed throat muscles don’t keep your airway from staying open to let air into your lungs.
Acid reflux is more often than not a chronic condition. When it begins, it is usually a life-long condition If there is injury to the lining of your esophagus this also is a chronic condition. There are many over the counter and even prescription acid reflux treatment options that can help you. One of these is Protonix .
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