1. Michelle Dotto April 3, 2003 Voice Disorders ASC 823C
Gastroespohageal Reflux Disease (GERD) & Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD)
Michelle Dotto
April 3, 2003
Voice Disorders ASC 823C

2. What are they?
The term REFLUX comes from the Greek word meaning “backflow,” usually referring to the contents of the stomach.
Just under the diaphragm, where the esophagus and stomach connect, is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This muscle normally prevents stomach juices and food from coming back up, relaxing only when you swallow.
GERD: an abnormal amount of reflux up through the lower sphincters and into the esophagus.
LPRD: when the reflux passes all the way through the upper sphincter and into the back of the throat, reaching the larynx and pharynx.

3. Symptoms for GERD
The most common is a burning sensation in the chest, usually after eating (AKA heartburn). This sensation can also be associated with position, sleep, or exercise.
Others include: belching, dysphagia, odynophagia (pain on swallowing), water brash, sore throat, cough, bronchospasms, atypical chest pain, hoarseness, and asthma exacerbation.
Symptoms are more common over night
Most common symptoms in the elderly include dysphagia, vomiting, and respiratory problems, among others which all lead to restrictive respiratory problems.
AKA Heartburn
Odynophagia = pain on swallowing
Water Brash = sudden occurrence of fluid into mouth caused by increased saliva prod’n

4. Symptoms of LPRD
Symptoms of the two may overlap, however, the pharynx, larynx, and lungs are more sensitive to stomach acid and digestive enzymes allowing less reflux to do more damage.
Symptoms include: hoarseness, frequent throat clearing, sensation in the throat, bad/bitter taste in the mouth, referred ear pain, and post-nasal drip to name a few.
Symptoms are commonly experienced during the day.
Very few experience heartburn.
Bitter taste = esp. in morning
Little heartburn b/c caused from esophagus being irritated

5. Signs that may be seen by a professional
Red, irritated arytenoids
Red, irritated larynx
Small laryngeal ulcers
Swelling of the VF
Granulomas in the larynx

6. Severe, long term affects
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Barrett’s esophagus
There is columnar epithelium in the esophagus where stratified squamous epithelium should be
Cancer

7. Causes Medications or food that relax the LES:
Chocolate
Caffeine
Fatty/spicy foods
Onions
Mint
Alcohol
Acidic fruits and vegetables
Hiatal hernia may also prevent closing of the LES – when the stomach protrudes above the diaphragm

8. Treatment Prevention/Lifestyle changes Medications Surgery
Usually in this order

9. Prevention/Lifestyle changes
The most important step is to minimize exposure to those factors that interfere with the normal function of the esophageal sphincter.
Meals should be eaten at least 2 hours before bedtime to prevent stomach acids from moving up the esophagus.
Do not exercise immediately after a meal
Maintain a healthy body weight
Reduce stress
Elevate the head of the bed 4-6 inches. Simply sleeping on extra pillows does not help since it flexes the stomach and could actually worsen reflux. Tilting the entire bed upwards will allow gravity to do its job.
Avoid tight clothing
Do not smoke
10 degree slant

10. Medications reduce the acidity of the stomach contents
increase the activity of the esophageal sphincters
they will increase the motility of the stomach

11. Medications Continued
“acid-blockers”
They don’t reduce reflux but they do reduce acidity.
"H-2 blockers” :block the histamine 2 receptor that is important in stomach acid production
Tagamet
Zantac
Pepcid
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI): reduce activity of a process that "pumps" protons across the cell membrane
Prilosec
Prevacid
Reglan is also used to increase the activity of the sphincter and increase gastric motility

12. Surgery With severe cases when meds and other tx are not successful.
Most common procedure: fundoplication, sewing a portion of the stomach around the esophagus to tighten its lower end. This operation can be done through small incisions in the abdomen using endoscopes.
Last resort

13. Diagnosis Tests completed: pH monitoring (AKA pH-metry) Barium swallow
Takes 24 hours (over night)
Measure acid in esophagus and throat
Small, soft, fexible tube (pH probe) through the nose and into the throat which is connected to a small computer worn around the waist
Also allows doctors to determine the best treatment
Barium swallow
Easiest, most cost effective
However, may be misleading
Tube called a “pH probe”
Misleading = show normal swallow yet have symptomatic GERD

14. How is the voice affected?
Hoarseness
Vocal fatigue
Edema
Ulceration
Granulation
Polypoid degeneration
Vocal nodules
Laryngospasm
Arytenoid fixation
Laryngeal stenosis
Carcinoma of the larynx

15. Voice treatment
Responsible for providing support for the reflux and appropriate voice therapy.
Acute stages of voice change: decrease throat clearing and coughing, conserve voice use, initiating new functional voicing behaviors.
Resonant Voice Therapy

16. References
Center for Voice Disorders of Wake Forest University. (2003). Patient information sheet on reflux.
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. (2002). Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease and recommendations to prevent acid reflux.
Hensrud, D.D. (2002). Somethings burning [Electronic version]. Fortune, 146, issue I.
Levy, R.A., Meiner, S.E., & Stamm, L. (2002). Conservative management of GERD: a case study. Medsurg Nursing, 11, No. 4.
Stemple, J., Gerdeman, B.K., & Glaze, L. (2002). Clinical Voice Pathology: Theory and Management. 3rd ed. Singular Publishing
Voice Center. (2003). Reflux disease and its effects on the larynx.