Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

[gja1000]

Hi Guys. Well, it's my turn to have a health issue. I "think" I have Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - self-diagnosed, of course. I go to my family doc tomorrow. For the past few weeks I have been coughing after I eat, sometimes just a little, sometimes a lot, sometimes not at all. Everyone was after me to go to the doc, but I wanted to have an idea of what it was before I went. I googled, "cough after I eat" and got lots of medical message boards and lots of people had the problem, but no one seemed to get any help from physicians - no one had a diagnosis. So, I ignored it for a while. Yesterday it was really bad, so I put on my medical detective hat. Here is some information from a medical site which explains it pretty well.

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

Symptoms
Hoarseness
Thick or too much mucous
Chronic throat irritation
Chronic throat clearing
Heartburn
Chronic cough
Cough that wakes you from your sleep
What is Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)?

Acid is normally produced in the stomach. It is prevented from backing up or refluxing into your esophagus (or food pipe) and throat by a band of muscle at the entrance of the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter. If this band of muscle is not functioning well, you can have a backflow of acid into your esophagus and into your throat and voice box, this is called laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).This causes the throat, particularly the larynx and vocal cords to swell and become inflamed. In turn, the inflammation creates mucus which is trapped in the voice box area.

Many people with LPR do not have symptoms of heartburn. Compared to the esophagus, the voice box and the back of the throat are significantly more sensitive to the affects of the acid on the surrounding tissues. Acid that passes quickly through the food pipe does not have a chance to irritate the area for too long. However, acid that pools in the throat and voice box will cause prolonged irritation resulting in the symptoms of LPR.

The symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux can consist of a dry cough, chronic throat clearing and a sensation of something being stuck in the throat. Another major symptom of LPR is "postnasal drip". The patients often have been told that their symptoms are abnormal nasal drainage or infections, however, this is rarely the cause of the irritation. In order for the "postnasal drip" to cause the complaints described, signs and symptoms of active nasal infection has to be present.

Guys, I have almost every symptom exactly as described here and at other medical sites. It is usually pretty easily treated with things like Prilosec and Zantac. The dosing is different from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux - which I have never had symptoms of) and it is irritated by acid forming foods, so I will have to change my diet. NO TOMATOES - I may die without my beloved tomatoes!!! NO CHOCOLATE - I may double die without my favorite food in the world. NO CAFFIENE - NO COLAS OR CARBONATED DRINKS. I may triple die without my flavored drinks (I do NOT like plain water). I LOVE coffee, diet coke, chocolate. No fried foods which is good, I don't need them. I do want this chronic coughing and feeling like something is in the back of my throat all the time to END, so I guess I'll be a good girl and do what I have to to get it to STOP!