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Guidelines for sites linking to mayoclinic.orgIntro: A sore throat, chronic cough and bronchitis that just won't go away. Think you might have last winter's lingering cold? Maybe. But doctors at Mayo Clinic say for some people, those symptoms might actually be caused by acid reflux. They're in the midst of a study to find out if this is true and if heartburn medications can help.
| Video | Audio |
| Total running time 1:22 | "THIS WILL MAKE A NICE BOUQUET FOR GRANDMA." |
| MARY LABRASH THOUGHT MAYBE HER SYMPTOMS WERE CAUSED BY AN ALLERGY TO LILACS OR SOME TYPE OF INFECTION. | |
Mary LaBrash Has Chronic Throat Symptoms |
"BRONCHITIS THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY. A LOT OF THE TIME IT WAS LIKE I HAD LARYNGITIS." |
| SO MARY WAS SURPRISED WHEN DOCTORS AT MAYO CLINIC SAID HER THROAT PROBLEMS WERE NOT LIKELY CAUSED BY A RESPIRATORY INFECTION, BUT BY ACID REFLUX. | |
| Mary LaBrash | "I DIDN'T THINK I HAD ACID REFLUX PROBLEMS." |
Standup Vivien Williams Reporting |
NO HEARTBURN. NO SOUR STOMACH. YOU SEE, MOST PEOPLE WITH REFLUX FEEL IT -- THAT BURNING SENSATION CAUSED BY STOMACH ACID SLOSHING INTO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR ESOPHAGUS. BUT ... |
Yvonne Romero, M.D. Mayo Clinic Gastroenterologist |
"IN A SMALL SUBSET OF PEOPLE, IT TRAVELS EVEN FARTHER UP AND CAUSES THROAT SYMPTOMS." |
Symptoms
To animation |
DR. YVONNE ROMERO CALLS IT SUPRAESOPHAGEAL REFLUX. HER RESEARCH TEAM IS STUDYING WHETHER CERTAIN SYMPTOMS -- CHRONIC COUGH, THE FEELING THAT SOMETHING'S STUCK IN YOUR THROAT, HOARSENESS, SORE THROAT, OR CONSTANT THROAT CLEARING -- GO AWAY WHEN YOU TAKE A PROTON PUMP INHIBITOR. THIS MEDICATION IS COMMONLY USED TO TREAT HEARTBURN. IT WORKS BY TURNING OFF MANY OF THE PUMPS THAT PRODUCE ACID IN YOUR STOMACH. |
| MARY'S SYMPTOMS DECREASED AFTER SHE WENT ON A PROTON PUMP INHIBITOR. | |
| "CAN YOU HELP ME ARRANGE THIS?" | |
| SO NOW SHE CAN CHIT CHAT WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER MADISON AS THEY CRAFT BOUQUETS. | |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. |
Tag: In addition to causing hoarseness, laryngitis and recurrent bronchitis, reflux also eroded some of the enamel on Mary's teeth. Dr. Romero suspects that up to 10 percent of all visits to the ear, nose and throat doctor are actually acid reflux cases. She hopes to have results of the study later this year. For more information on gastroesophageal reflux disease, log onto our Web site at ...
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