Asthma and GERD: Linked?

Two of the most common causes of doctor visits in the United States, asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have both become a major cause of concern. But some doctors suspect that the high occurrence of these diseases isn't a coincidence, and, in some cases, the two may be closely related. Why would these two occurrances be related?

Asthma has been on the rise in the United States, affecting all ages. Recent estimates say that there are close to 4.8 million cases of asthma in children under the age of 16 in the United States. GERD is also a chronic problem and it is, in fact, the most common GI condition. There are 18.6 million cases of GERD in the United States.

One reason a patient may have reflux is because of a pressure difference between the abdomen and chest. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that results in increased chest pressure. Since there is positive pressure in the abdomen and negative pressure in the chest, the tendency is for the liquids in the gastrointestinal track to go up. Many of the medications used to treat asthma, like long-acting bronchodilators, reduce the pressure in the lower esophagus, making the pressure difference even worse. Check with your doctor to see if you may be experiencing symptoms of both conditions.

For additional resources, please visit www.teensacidreflux.org.