Silent Acid Reflux
When no outward or typical symptoms of acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occur, it may indicate that the refluxed material is not traveling back all the way up the esophagus and into the mouth but only partway. However, some children with this Silent Acid Reflux may swallow the refluxed material rather than spitting it up or vomiting.
When we say that the acid reflux is silent, we mean that GER symptoms like heartburn are vague or completely absent. Silent acid reflux is sometimes also called laryngopharyngeal reflux, a term which refers to the backflow of stomach acid not only up the esophagus but also the rest of the way up to the larynx or pharynx.
Silent acid reflux can be much more difficult to diagnose since the normal symptoms do not show. This condition can also be more damaging to the esophagus since the acid not only comes up but also goes back down.
The causes of silent acid reflux are similar to the causes of GER since both are associated with backflow of stomach acids. Two sets of sphincter muscles allow food and drink to pass into the stomach and prevent backflow. When the lower set of muscles fails to do its job, the stomach contents pass into the lower esophagus. As the lower esophagus is not very sensitive to stomach acids, they do not cause heartburn, a common symptom associated with GER.
Symptoms associated with silent acid reflux include hoarseness, throat irritation, coughing, excessive mucus, lump-in-the-throat sensation, choking sensation, excessive snoring, sleep apnea, and difficulty in swallowing. When children, particularly infants, have silent GER, the condition may be very difficult to diagnose, but symptoms such as the following may be observed: frequent hiccups, persistent cough, blood in the stool or spit-up, sour breath, sudden bursts of crying, and poor sleeping habits. Children with these problems need to be taken to a specialist forthwith, for pH measurement and other tests. Meanwhile, you can start taking steps to remedy the situation, like identifying and cutting down on foods that may trigger the acid reflux. Smoking and immoderate drinking, which can do permanent damage to the throat, should also be avoided. These changes in diet and lifestyle can be more efficacious than medication.
Whether silent acid reflux needs to be treated or not depends on the complications it can create. There were instances that many doctors suspected that some asthma patients may have silent acid reflux and that for some reason, it does not cause heartburn but may have a role in triggering or exacerbating asthma, but they were unable to prove this suspicion.
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