Heartburn Can Have Long Term Effects If Not Treated
Heartburn is a disease that millions of people suffer from. Nevertheless, you needn’t just deal with it.It is painful and can result in lasting effects for those who don’t treat it properly. In truth, people can die from complications of heartburn. The esophagus can constrict and become too narrow and a person can develop secondary esophageal cancer.
Cancer of the esophagus and ulcers of the stomach are serious conditions that can happen if you don’t treat heartburn. You can develop secondary respiratory infections from having heartburn. Acid can enter the lungs and inflame the lungs, causing a secondary pneumonia. If you suffer from asthma, your asthma will worsen as a result of heartburn.
Regardless of how severe your secondary complications are, you will still have an effect on your daily life. You’ll often get up during the night because of reflux, you will have a difficult time concentrating and you will be miserable. You can get secondarily sick from having untreated heartburn.
GERD stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and is the condition of having chronic heartburn.The esophagus is inflamed and appears red and ulcerated. It will damage the esophagus further if you don’t treat it. Treatment can involve prescription medication that you must take on a daily basis.
Surgery may be recommended in severe cases.The condition of Barrett’s esophagus can occur with prolonged acid reflux. The acid in the esophagus begins to erode into the esophageal lining. This is a rare condition found in those who have neglected their heartburn for many years and who have GERD. The individual begins to lose weight and has a hard time swallowing any kind of food or liquid.
Esophagitis involves an irritation to the lower esophagus. Visually, one can see an inflamed, reddened and swollen esophagus with a difficulty in swallowing, breathing and even drinking liquids.Medication may not even be able to be properly swallowed so that parenteral forms of medication (like IVs) may be needed.
The condition of esophagitis can be very serious in terms of the ability to get nutrients in and liquids in.Bacteria can form in the esophagus and can trigger an infection. The immune system can be compromised resulting in even more illnesses.
Some people with untreated esophagitis go on to develop esophageal cancer. If the cancer is left undiscovered, it can metastasize to other body areas and can become almost impossible to treat. It is commonly fatal. This is why you need to see your doctor early in the course of your heartburn.
As heartburn has long term consequences, it is a good idea to have it treated sooner rather than later.Don’t just let it go because the results can be deadly and you may have worse complications than just having heartburn. See your doctor if you find yourself with severe or recurrent acid reflux.
