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About Acid Reflux & Asthma in Children

Many adults have experienced the pain and discomfort of heartburn. But did you know your child can also experience this condition? And if he or she has asthma, heartburn, medically known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can worsen the symptoms of asthma. For this reason, it is important to determine if GERD is present and triggering your child's asthma flares.

  1. What is GERD?

    • When your child eats, the acid that digests his food usually stays in the stomach. The acid is kept in the stomach by a valve at the base of the esophagus (the food tube leading from the mouth to the stomach). But when this valve does not function property, acid from the stomach can back up into the espophagus causing the symptoms of GERD and can irritate your child's airways.

    How Does GERD Cause Asthma Symptoms to Occur?

    • Asthma can cause wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in the chest or a chronic cough (cough-variant asthma). If GERD is present, the acid that backs up in the esophagus can cause fumes to enter the lungs and irritate the nerve endings in the airways, triggering an asthma flare-up. Adults with asthma and GERD may experience these same symptoms. More than 75 percent of people with asthma have GERD, and twice as many people with asthma have GERD than those people who do not have asthma. So GERD is a common trigger of asthma flare-ups in both children and adults. When GERD is treated, in most instances, the asthma flares will lessen.

    How Do You Know if Your Child Has GERD?

    • Most children don't realize when GERD is present and can't tell you what they're feeling. So it is up to you to pay close attention to your child's symptoms. An indication that your child with asthma is experiencing GERD may be a hoarseness in his voice or a cough that persists after eating. Your doctor may suggest a number of tests or medication trials to determine if GERD is present. This may include X-rays and other diagnostic tests to examine the stomach and to assess the amount of acid that is backing up into the esophagus. Your doctor may suspect GERD as a problem if your child experiences asthma symptoms after eating a meal, after lying down or if asthma symptoms do not lessen when using prescribed medicines.

    Medicines Your Child's Doctor May Suggest for GERD

    • Your doctor may suggest your child take Mylicon or Gaviscon to reduce the gas in her stomach or antacids such as Maalox or Mylantin, histamine blockers such as Pepcid or Zantac, or proton-pump inhibitors such as Nexium, Prilosec or Prevacid. These have all been shown to be effective and safe when used as prescribed by your child's doctor.

    Some Simple Things You Can Do to Help Your Child with Asthma and GERD

    • Try keeping an asthma-symptom diary and note what symptoms your child experiences, especially after eating. Keeping a food diary may also help to determine if particular foods are causing GERD to occur. Elevate the head of your child's bed to keep acid contents from spilling back up into the esophagus, and try keeping your child upright for two hours after eating. Also give your child smaller and more frequent meals rather than large ones that will fill his stomach and put pressure on the stomach valve that keeps the acid contents in the stomach. And always follow the asthma-management plan and medication plan prescribed by your child's doctor.

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