Hi,

I have gone through your description. Acid reflux can be a very prolonged problem and sometimes you need to be patient and methodical in managing the condition.

The management steps involve identifying if there is acid reflux, lifestyle changes and medication.

First step is identification if it is reflux disease and nothing else. Some conditions could mimic the symptoms - such as a condition called 'silent asthma'. Sometimes conditions such as a hiatus hernia can cause these symptoms. Association of pharyngeal pouch can change the treatment methods to be adopted. Nevertheless identification involves certain diagnostic tests such as manometry and upper GI endoscopy. As you have the symptoms for more than six months now, it is advisable if you could get an appointment with an ENT specialist or a gastroenterologist in your area. You need not be worried, as most of the times the diagnosis involves simple causes which could be managed with lifestyle changes and medications.

Secondly, you need to implement few life style changes. To begin with , avoid stress, too much of coffee, oily food and spicy food. Eat frequent and light meals. The gap between your last meal of the day and the the time you lie down to sleep should be at least two hours. Sometimes it helps if you use an extra pillow to prevent the reflux entering your throat and causing laryngitis and cough.

Finally, medicines do help in decreasing acid secretion in the stomach, ensuring the food does not stay too long in stomach to build pressure and push acid up and sometimes even in eradicating causes for prolonged acid secretion such as H pylori infections. For this again, it depends on the clinical examination by the doctor and the findings of the investigations.

So, to begin with incorporate the lifestyle changes suggested and try to take the next available appointment. A visit to emergency care doesn't seem to be necessary.

Hope this answers your query. Let me know if you need clarifications

Regards,
Sreenivasan

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Hi,

Yes, you need to decrease your tea intake too.

On your finding a doctor, I am afraid, I do not have an answer of the best method to reach out to one as I do not have clear know how of your country's approach. I guess you will need a doctor's referral to see a specialist in your area. But, I can suggest what you can do in case it is really difficult to XXXXXXX a doctor.

First adapt the lifestyle changes and it should help by itself. In case of medicines, you have already mentioned that have been taking medicines intermittently. Please take them regularly for two weeks; if you are not sure if they are antacids or any other medicines which reduce secretion of acids, please write back to me mentioning the names of those medicines you were taking (please mention the generic name if possible). I shall get back to you.

Regards,
Sreenivasan

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Hi,

Sure. Please write to me if you have any further queries.

Regards,
Sreenivasan

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