Silent reflux, also known clinically as laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR), is a condition similar to GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. GERD is the cause of common heartburn, though the condition can become much more severe, causing terrible symptoms and requiring more complex medical intervention.
While LPR is similar in some respects to GERD, there are some distinct differences between the two conditions as well. GERD causes stomach acids to backup into the esophagus, resulting in the burning sensation typically referred to as heartburn. With LPR, there is rarely this burning sensation, making it a difficult condition to diagnose and resulting in it being called silent reflux.
The symptoms that accompany LPR can vary between children and adults. For infants and children with the condition, the most common symptoms are hoarseness; a chronic cough sometimes referred to as “barking cough; asthma; apnea; difficulty eating which can result in aspiration of food into the lungs; and difficulty gaining weight.
In adults, silent reflux shows up with some similar symptoms and some which are quite different. Those that are similar include constant clearing of the throat; chronic cough; hoarseness; and the constant feeling of having something stuck in the throat.
Adult’s disparate symptoms include trouble swallowing; the feeling of postnasal drip or too much mucus in the throat; sore throat; difficulty breathing; and a bitter taste in the back of the throat which is similar to that which occurs with more obvious heartburn symptoms.
Silent reflux, while similar in some ways to GERD, often does not appear in adults with the most common heartburn symptoms like a sharp pain in the base of the chest, burning sensation deep inside the chest, or the obvious presence of acid in the through which is often caused by belching.
In silent reflux, not only does the lower esophageal sphincter not work properly, but the upper one does not either, allowing stomach acid to not only make its way back into the esophagus but all the way up into your throat as well.
Stomach acids can back up into the larynx or voice box, which is the cause of the hoarseness symptom so commonly found in LPR patients. Acids can even end up in your nasal airways, causing inflammation and excessive production of mucus.
The clinical diagnosis of silent reflux often requires an endoscopic exam, though pH monitoring can also be utilized. The treatment of the condition is similar to that used for GERD. Lifestyle, dietary and stress reduction changes are the most common recommended for patients with LPR. most patients respond well to self-care techniques, though some require more complex medical treatment and maintenance medications.