Theories/Speculation

• Some doctors believe digestive acid in GERD sufferers is breathed into the lungs. When the acid irritates the lining of the lungs, spasms cause an asthma attack. Another theory is that acid dissolves lining when it reaches the esophagus, causing airways to narrow to protect exposed nerves.
  
  

Identification

• If your asthma symptoms increase after you eat, exercise, or lie down--and asthma medications and treatments don't work--you could have both GERD and asthma. Symptoms that include coughing or hoarseness also point to having both conditions. When patients have asthma that doesn't begin until they're adults, doctors suspect GERD as the cause.
  
  

Effects

• Acid that injures the throat, lungs and airways can cause a constant cough in addition to difficulty in breathing. GERD can make asthma worse, but asthma and asthma medicine such as oral or intravenous bronchodilators can make GERD symptoms worse by relaxing the muscle that allows stomach contents to enter the esophagus. Bronchodilators that are inhaled don't seem to cause this problem as much.
  
  

Warning

• If GERD symptoms become worse and you suspect your asthma or medication, talk to your doctor about it. Don't stop taking asthma medicine. Instead, try to keep from being exposed to things that cause your asthma symptoms, raise the head of your bed with 8-inch blocks of wood to keep acid in your stomach, avoid eating for 3 hours before bedtime, and eat smaller meals that don't include acid or fatty foods that cause GERD symptoms. Smokers should stop immediately to avoid symptoms of both GERD and asthma.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Asthma symptoms can be relieved by GERD treatment. A study in the May 2003 American Journal of Gastroenterology showed 75 percent of patients who had surgery for GERD had improved asthma symptoms. Lung function also improved in patients treated with GERD medication.