Silent GERD, a type of acid reflux disease, has symptoms that are not typical of GERD, such as hoarseness, sore throat, and trouble breathing. People with silent GERD may need multiple tests to diagnose it, and treatment is similar to normal GERD.
Those who have silent GERD do not have the typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Instead of experiencing the normal heartburn associated with this condition, people with silent GERD have other symptoms they don’t recognize as part of acid reflux. For this reason, these people may need to take part in several tests before getting a diagnosis of GERD.
Each person creates a certain amount of hydrochloric acid. This type of acid helps a person digest foods in the stomach, and when everything in the body is normal, it either stays in the stomach or travels down there, where it is diluted and digested. With GERD, hydrochloric acid backs up into the lower esophagus, causing heartburn. Sometimes, the acid gets into the mouth as well, often leaving a sour taste.
With silent reflux, you don’t feel heartburn as the acid backs up into your esophagus. Instead, symptoms such as hoarseness, sore throat, and trouble breathing occur. Acid that rises in the mouth can eat away at a person’s tooth enamel, making them weak, discolored, and sometimes causing them to fall out. Those who have asthma and silent GERD may find that their asthma symptoms worsen because the acid has irritated the throat and made breathing difficult.
Many of the symptoms of silent GERD aren’t typical of acid reflux disease, so people who have them don’t realize it’s GERD they’re experiencing. People with silent GERD may find that they frequently have sinus problems after doing something that requires bending over. In fact, bending over allows the hydrochloric acid to move back up into the esophagus more easily. Because of the proximity of the esophagus to it, the nose defends itself by creating mucus, often resulting in a stuffy or runny nose.
Due to the fact that no heartburn occurs, a doctor will most likely need to run a couple of tests to diagnose a person with GERD. It can monitor the pH level in a person’s esophagus or it can put a person on a proton pump inhibitor, which reduces the amount of acid in the stomach. A doctor might also perform an endoscopy or take an X-ray after a person has ingested barium. These types of tests usually help diagnose silent GERD.
Treatment is usually the same for silent GERD as it is for normal GERD. Antacids and H2 blockers can be taken over the counter or can be prescribed by a doctor. A proton pump inhibitor, which may have been used for the silent GERD test, can be continued to help reduce the amount of acid going up in a person’s esophagus.
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