Is GERD Dangerous?
Is acid reflux really a serious problem? Too many people think a little heartburn is normal and they don’t need to worry about it. That attitude might be ok in very mild cases but can be dangerous for others. Here are some things to look for to determine which category you’re in.
To begin with, pay attention to the extent of the symptoms. While it’s not a 100% correlation, possibly dangerous cases of GERD are often associated with more severe symptoms.
Another important factor is the frequency of symptoms. If a person only has GERD every several months, that’s a very different matter than having symptoms which are frequent.
Keep in mind that all symptoms of acid reflux result from acid refluxing into the esophagus. It is doing damage every time it happens and that can sometimes lead to severe complications.
I don’t want to go into much detail here but if you’re interested you can find out more about the various complications of acid reflux by searching for: complications of acid reflux.
Another indicator that should lead someone to seek medical treatment is if they have a respiratory problem associated with their acid reflux. These symptoms often include asthma, wheezing, coughing or frequent colds and episodes of bronchitis.
The respiratory symptoms appear because in some people the reflux can be so severe that the acid actually backs up all the way to the top of the esophagus and spills over into the windpipe. I think you’d agree that having acid splash into your larynx, windpipe and lungs might do some damage.
As with any medical issue you should gather as much information as you can in addition to relying on your doctor.A good site that I found for information on acid reflux is Treat Acid Reflux Now. Since you’ve read this, you’d probably be interested in their page Is GERD Dangerous?
The main thing is not to assume that acid reflux is always a trivial problem that doesn’t need further evaluation. As always if you have any doubt it’s better to be safe than sorry and make an appointment with your doctor rather than ignoring symptoms.
