Complications Associated with Acid Reflux Disease
Unfortunately, acid reflux disease can eventually become a much more serious, potentially life threatening problem if it is allowed to continue untreated.
A lifetime of acidic fluid swishing up into the Esophagus, scarring and burning the walls; more and more food going down this path, tangling with the ulcerated surface, the subsequent laxness in the movement of the Esophageal contractions as it moves the food downward towards the stomach - all these factors contribute to some serious afflictions.
Infants and children who have Acid reflux may not vomit, but may still have stomach contents that move up the food pipe and spill over into the windpipe and affect the lungs. Asthma, pneumonia, and even SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) can happen. Infants and children with reflux who vomit frequently may display unsatisfactory growth.
Erosive Esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus that occurs when the cells that line the esophagus are damaged by highly acidic stomach fluids.
Ulcers and the additional associated inflammation gives rise to bleeding into the esophagus. Sometimes, the bleeding can be severe and may cause severe anemia and require transfusions of blood and endoscopic or surgical treatments.
Ulcers and scar tissue make the food pipe narrower, making it difficult to swallow, causing wheezing and gasping for breath, and preventing normal digestion of food.
If the esophagus is severely scarred and consistently filled with stomach acids it can eventually cause esophageal cells to become cancerous, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus. Although only ten percent of individuals who suffer from acid reflux disease eventually go on to develop Barrett’s esophagus, this percentage is increasing.
Finally, there are a bunch of nerves in the lower part of the Esophagus, which get disturbed by the Acid Reflux flushing back. This sometimes result in a pain we call heartburn; other times, these nerves transmit the disturbance to some other nerves, that cause constriction of the lung airways, and cough, causing the patient to get breathless.