My chest feels stuffy and there's something in my throat

Nowadays, few people in our lives do a lot of physical labor. The change in working methods has led to various diseases in many people. Some friends experience a stuffy feeling in the chest and a sensation of something in the throat, but they actually don’t know what disease causes it. This situation is most likely caused by reflux esophagitis. So, how can we tell if we have this disease?

Four major judgment criteria

Standard 1

Gastroesophageal reflux

After eating, especially at night, when resting in bed, acidic liquid or food will flow back from the gastroesophageal tube into the pharynx or mouth. If there is no reaction in time, it may even flow into the nasal cavity, irritating the nasal cavity and causing acidic stinging. A small number of patients experience pain behind the sternum or in the pit of the stomach, and sometimes the pain even radiates to the back and chest.

Standard 2

Burning or pain behind the breastbone

The burning sensation in the stomach, also known as "heartburn", is a typical symptom of reflux esophagitis. It is mostly located behind the sternum, especially after meals, especially after a full meal. Symptoms usually occur about 1 hour after eating and can be triggered by semi-recumbent position, forward bending or strenuous exercise. It can disappear after taking antacids, but it can be aggravated by overheated or overly acidic foods. For people with gastric acid deficiency, the burning sensation is mainly caused by bile reflux, so the effect of taking antacids is often not significant. In severe esophagitis, especially with scar formation, there may be no or only a slight burning sensation.

Standard 3

Heartburn, acid reflux

This symptom appears about 1 hour after eating. It is more likely to occur when lying down or doing strenuous exercise after eating. Taking stomach medicine such as acid suppressants will alleviate or eliminate the symptoms. Eating even slightly overheated or acidic food will significantly aggravate the symptoms.

Standard 4

Difficulty swallowing, vomiting

In the early stage, there is intermittent dysphagia, feeling unable to swallow completely, or transient pain when swallowing. In the later stage, the symptoms of dysphagia are alleviated, but the frequency of occurrence increases significantly, and it becomes permanent dysphagia or vomiting.

By comparing the above 4 criteria, you can determine whether you have reflux esophagitis.

How to prevent reflux esophagitis?

Maintain good daily habits

In daily life, you should eat small meals frequently and avoid high-fat foods; avoid lying flat after meals and eating within 2 to 3 hours before going to bed; raise the head of the bed by 10 to 20 cm when sleeping. These methods can reduce gastroesophageal reflux. Smoking and drinking of strong alcohol should be avoided, and anticholine drugs, dopamine receptor agonists, calcium channel blockers, tranquilizers and anesthetics should be used with caution to avoid reducing the compression of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Keep your mood happy

Keep a happy mood and reduce work and mental stress (this is also very important. It can be found that the symptoms of people who travel will be significantly alleviated, which has a lot to do with the good mood of tourists)!

Weight control

Obese people should try to lose weight. Obesity not only increases the burden on the heart, but also reduces the tension of the lower esophageal sphincter, increasing the chance of acid reflux. People with chronic cough and long-term constipation should seek treatment.