There is something patients with Reflux Esophagitis most often say in the treatment room: “I feel okay while taking medication, but when I stop, it comes back up.” If your chest feels like it is burning, sour fluid comes up, you feel as if something is stuck in your throat, and a dry cough continues, eating, sleeping, and even talking can become uncomfortable. In these cases, I do not look only at the amount of stomach acid; I also check whether the stomach is moving food downward properly.
Why does reflux keep recurring?
Reflux Esophagitis is a condition in which the contents of the stomach flow back up toward the esophagus and cause discomfort. Overeating, late-night eating, greasy foods, spicy foods, coffee on an empty stomach, and the habit of lying down right after meals can increase pressure inside the stomach or delay gastric emptying, worsening symptoms.
Repeated reflux can make the esophageal lining sensitive and may irritate the throat and larynx, leading to a hoarse voice, lingering dry cough, and a foreign-body sensation in the throat. It is better not to take long-lasting symptoms lightly.
In Korean medicine, we also look at gastrointestinal motility
Having heartburn does not mean everyone needs the same prescription. In some people, the stomach moves slowly; in others, stress worsens abdominal tension and belching; and in others, a constitutional tendency toward heat sensations and dryness is more prominent.
In Korean medicine care, we check the pattern of symptoms, meal patterns, sleep, stress, and bowel movements, and, when needed, refer to Electrogastrography and Ryodoraku testing. Based on this, we combine herbal decoctions, acupuncture, and moxibustion and take an approach aimed at regulating stomach function and circulation.
Lifestyle management is needed even while taking medication
If you are taking a medication that suppresses stomach acid secretion, do not stop it on your own; please consult the medical team who prescribed it. However, because medication alone cannot offset all the effects of lifestyle habits, you should also adjust your meal and sleep rhythms to help reduce recurrence.
- Finish dinner at least 3 hours before going to sleep.
- Avoid lying down right after eating or bending deeply at the waist.
- Track how coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks, chocolate, fried foods, and spicy foods relate to your symptoms, and adjust accordingly.
- Rather than eating a large amount at once, eat slowly and maintain portions that avoid overeating.
- Reduce tight clothing around the abdomen and late-night snacks as much as possible.
We recommend a consultation in these situations
If heartburn recurs often, sour belching and a lump-in-the-throat sensation continue for more than 2 weeks, or coughing worsens when you lie down, we recommend that you seek medical care. If you have difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, vomiting blood, or black stools, you should be checked at a medical institution without delay. If sudden chest pain spreads to the arm or jaw, or is accompanied by cold sweats or shortness of breath, heart-related problems need to be ruled out, so please call 119 or go to the emergency room first.
Reflux esophagitis is not only a matter of suppressing stomach acid; it is also connected to the process of rebuilding your body’s digestive rhythm. Rather than enduring symptoms for a long time, looking at your eating habits, constitution, and gastrointestinal motility together may help you find a more comfortable daily life.