Severe
Acid Reflux May Indicate a Serious Condition
Many Americans have conditioned themselves
to ignore acid reflux symptoms, even severe acid reflux
symptoms. Chronic, acute pain, however, is not something
that should be ignored if it is persistent and gets
worse over time. Besides pain and discomfort, severe
acid reflux can eventually cause damaging problems
with the esophagus, such as:
(1)
Esophagitis: severe acid reflux may cause stomach
acid to continually come into contact with the esophagus,
leading to ulcers or bleeding in the esophagus.
(2)
Barrett’s esophagus: Chronic, untreated severe
acid reflux or esophagitis can lead to Barrett’s
esophagus, or cell abnormalities in the esophagus.
This means healthy esophagus cells turn into cells
not normally found in the esophagus. In less than
one percent of cases, Barrett’s esophagus was
the precursor for cancer of the esophagus. The symptoms
of Barrett’s esophagus are basically the same
as severe acid reflux. Barrett’s esophagus is
treated by preventing acid from getting into the esophagus.
(3)
Strictures: When severe acid reflux damages the lining
of the esophagus, the esophagus can become scarred.
That scar tissue, in turn, narrows the esophagus,
and the narrowing is called strictures. The tightening
of strictures prevents food and drink from reaching
the stomach.
(4)
Esophageal cancer: More common in men, esophageal
cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found
in the tissue of the esophagus. Esophageal cancer
is usually the result of severe acid reflux, GERD,
Barrett’s esophagus, alcoholism, and/or smoking.
While cancer of the esophagus has no symptoms in its
early stages, over time patients will experience difficulty
swallowing, weight loss, and painful swallowing.
Since
severe acid reflux could lead to a serious or even
life-threatening condition, it is important for patients
to remain aware of their symptoms. Any change or worsening
in severe acid reflux symptoms should be investigated
as soon as possible. |
