Gastric Reflux is a common symptom of Sleep Apnea. When there is an obstructive sleep apnea event of hypopneas and apneas the respiratory effort of the diaphragm pulling to inspire creates a negative pressure in the chest. This negative pressure can be quite large and leads to turning the esophagus into a straw pulling the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and throat creating the acid burning of gastric reflux in the chest and throat. Gastric reflux is usually treated with antacids medications and the underlining cause of obstructive apnea or upper airway resistance is ignored.
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