Reflux: Why Some Foods Raise Risk

Pain in the stomach region, burning and cravings. These were some of the symptoms that physical education student Emanuelle Carolina Pereira, 21, had when suffering from reflux (or gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Reflux occurs due to the abnormal return of stomach contents (with acidic pH) to the esophagus, which can reach, in some cases, the larynx and oral cavity. According to experts, foods that cause greater relaxation of the muscles in the transition between the esophagus and the stomach are associated with complaints of the disease. Thus, the ingestion of chocolates, coffees, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and fried foods increase the risk of the person developing the problem. Understand more below.

The condition becomes a disease when signs occur at least once a week and impair the patient’s quality of life. According to experts heard by the report, about 25% of the adult population suffers from the nuisance.

Emanuelle says that she complained since she was a baby, but that the biggest effects were felt when she was a teenager. “I started eating more fast food and I could feel it coming back,” she says.

Three years ago, she started a short course of treatment to ease the symptoms and make the attacks lessen. She changed her eating habits and felt an improvement in her everyday life.

However, a year after starting the procedure, he returned to eating the wrong way, with fatty foods, and also suffered from some side effects of the medication.

When performing a new endoscopy, a common test that checks for changes in the gastrointestinal organs, she was diagnosed with lesions in the esophagus.

The student continues to treat this new symptom and hopes that the signs of reflux will decrease, as they greatly interfere with her routine. “It complicates exercises that require more abdominal strength a bit. It’s also bad for eating, as it gives a lot of burning sensation. It’s not cool.”

Coxinha and coffee were the great villains

Retired José Félix, 64, also suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease for years. A “fan” of coxinha, coffee and fatty foods, he felt the effects of excessive intake of these foods.

The signs occurred almost immediately after consuming them and he didn’t realize he was developing reflux.

“I felt a lot of burning, hiccups, and sometimes it was so strong that it even made me dizzy when I bent down to pick something up”, he recalls.

Ignoring the symptoms for a long time and getting homemade recipes on the internet – which doctors don’t recommend – he only went to a gastroenterologist when the condition started to get in the way of his day-to-day activities.

After some tests, he was diagnosed with reflux and was already developing gastritis. In addition to medication, José needed to change his eating pattern and take the treatment seriously.

“I stopped frying and followed all medical recommendations. After a few weeks, I already felt a great improvement”, he says.

To this day, the retiree tries to follow a healthier diet and avoid fast food and caffeinated drinks. He says it’s sometimes hard to resist, but he doesn’t want to experience the symptoms he previously had.

“If I eat a coxinha until today I don’t feel 100%. So I avoid it.”

What causes reflux?

The return of stomach contents to the esophagus may be physiological or, when it occurs frequently, it is characterized by gastroesophageal reflux disease.

“Under normal conditions, there is an anatomical and functional barrier mechanism between the esophagus and the stomach, which can be influenced by some factors that end up favoring the occurrence of reflux”, explains Helen Perussolo Alberton, physician at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service of the Hospital Marcelino Champagnat, in Curitiba (PR).

Generally, bad eating habits are the main cause of the problem. Foods that cause greater relaxation of the muscles in the transition between the esophagus and the stomach – known as the lower esophageal sphincter – are associated with complaints of the disease.

Ingestion of chocolates, coffees, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and fried foods increase a person’s risk of developing the problem.

“These have a longer digestion time in the stomach. The carbonated drinks also increase the pressure inside the organ, worsening the reflux”, emphasizes Clóvis Massato Kuwahara, endoscopist and professor of the Medicine course at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR).

Cigarette smoking also increases the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition to smoking, excessive consumption of citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, passion fruit and others are also associated with the condition.

What are the symptoms?

Signs can take a while to appear and it is important that as soon as the first symptoms appear, the person looks for a gastroenterologist.

The most common are heartburn, a burning sensation usually felt behind the chest, and regurgitation, which is the perception of acidic contents returning towards the esophagus and mouth.

Reflux can also manifest with atypical symptoms such as coughing, hoarseness, throat clearing, a feeling of drowning, bad breath and even tooth enamel wear.

It can still compromise extraesophageal organs, says the doctor at Hospital Marcelino Champagnat.

To receive the diagnosis of disease, it is necessary for the patient to consult with specialists and perform specific tests such as endoscopy.

How to handle the problem?

The initial approach should be made with behavioral and dietary changes.

In this first one, it is possible to carry out with simple actions on a daily basis. One of them is to respect meal times, have them every three hours and avoid excessive intake of heavy and caloric dishes before bed.

It is also advised to elevate the head of the bed to avoid nocturnal reflux and avoid possible choking.

In terms of food, a reduction in the consumption of foods and drinks rich in caffeine, fat and acidity is indicated.

In parallel, under medical advice, the patient can take antacid drugs that help improve the “emptying” of the stomach. Typically, the entire treatment can last six months.

When there are no changes in the picture, the person needs to perform new exams. One of them is manometry, which studies the motor function of the esophagus and assesses whether the organ has any type of fragility or changes in peristaltic functions.

Eduardo Grecco, gastrosurgeon and endoscopist at the EndoVitta Institute, explains that the person can also undergo a procedure called phmetria, which measures gastric acidity and indicates the ideal amount of medicine that the doctor can prescribe.

In some cases, there are even surgical and endoscopic alternatives indicated for individuals who have a high level of acidity in the esophagus.

“In the case of surgical procedures, an anti-reflux valve is made around the esophagus and the patient is hospitalized for a day or two”, explains Grecco, who is coordinator of the Service and Medical Residency of Endoscopy at the ABC School of Medicine. According to him, approximately 80% of patients present satisfactory results and are without symptoms of reflux after the procedure.