Mr. Zhang has 'asthma' and has been treated for many years. But what is unexpected is that the cause of his asthma is actually a digestive tract disease.
The cause of asthma is long-term cure but in the stomach
Mr. Zhang began to have an unexplained cough from three or four years ago, and it became more and more serious. He coughed up jaundice from time to time. Mr. Zhang was diagnosed with pharyngitis at the hospital. He still had cough and asthma after taking the medicine. Some doctors said that he is allergic. Asthma, gave him some medicine to cure asthma, but the effect is still not obvious.
Later, the doctor gave him a 24-hour pH monitoring of the esophagus. The result was clearly diagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux. The second day after Mr. Zhang received minimally invasive surgery, his cough stopped.
Mr. Zhang is very puzzled. Gastroesophageal reflux is a digestive system disease, and asthma is a respiratory disease. The two seem to be irrelevant. What is going on?
Gastric acid reflux aggravates asthma symptoms
According to foreign research, 50% to 80% of asthma patients are related to gastroesophageal reflux disease, and about 10% of them are directly caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease.
In other words, the so-called 'asthma' in this part of the patient is not really asthma, but a clinical manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux.
In addition, some patients may happen to have both irritable asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux is only one of the aggravating or stimulating factors. The reflux of sour water stimulates the trachea to make asthma worse. It can be called reflux asthma.
The trachea and the esophagus are connected. Under normal circumstances, due to the protective mechanism of the trachea, the food that is eaten generally does not enter the trachea. However, in the disease state, like Mr. Zhang’s gastroesophageal reflux disease, stomach acid and food in the stomach It can flow back through the esophagus to the throat and into the trachea, even the lungs.
Because the tracheal mucosa has no resistance to this acidic reflux, once contact, it will immediately cause strong sputum and secretion of tracheal smooth muscle, resulting in severe cough, difficulty breathing or asthma attack, severe cases due to throat and even death.
Reflux asthma can be distinguished from common asthma
In general, common asthma often has allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, etc., and the condition will increase or decrease with seasonal or environmental changes. The main cause is bronchospasm, mainly due to expiratory dyspnea, and the lungs. Can smell and wheezing.
However, reflux asthma often can not find obvious allergens, long-term onset, no seasonal distribution, mostly at night, mainly in the throat and the atmosphere, mainly as inspiratory dyspnea, audible 1. The throat is loud and the wheezing sound of the lungs is not obvious.
Asthma patients with significant acid reflux, heartburn, belching and other gastrointestinal symptoms, asthma is highly likely caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Asthma and cough caused by gastroesophageal reflux often have some clues, such as occasional nighttime acid reflux to the nose and mouth, and cause irritation and cough, which is direct evidence of reflux fluid entering the trachea. Even if you only find one or two times, it can also explain the problem, which requires the patients and their families to attach great importance to it.
Because reflux asthma is caused by gastroesophageal reflux, as long as adequate control of gastroesophageal reflux, asthma symptoms can be alleviated; patients with gastroesophageal reflux should pay attention to diet, a small amount of meals, and avoid bedtime immediately after meals. , at least 2 hours before taking the position; avoid mental stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
