Post by @mollypelletier.rd

Constant throat clearing. A lump that won't go away. Hoarseness by 3pm. Post-nasal drip that no allergy med touches. That combo often points to silent reflux (LPR). There's no heartburn because the irritation sits in your throat, not your chest. Reflux carries pepsin, a digestive enzyme that can stick to throat tissue. Your throat is more sensitive to it than your esophagus is, so even small amounts can keep it inflamed. A PPI lowers acid, but it doesn't address what's causing the reflux or heal irritated tissue. Where I start with clients is a 3-month low-acid healing phase: 1. Skip foods and drinks below pH 5: citrus, tomatoes, vinegar and pickles, soda, juice, wine, pineapple. Check the hidden ones too: salad dressing, ketchup, hot sauce, kombucha. 2. Build meals from foods above pH 5: oatmeal, eggs, chicken, fish, rice, potatoes, cooked carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, honeydew. 3. After 3 months, bring acidic foods back one at a time, a few days apart, so you can tell what your throat tolerates. It's temporary, and the foods come back. In one small study of people still symptomatic on PPIs, cutting out acidic foods improved symptoms in 19 of 20. If the lump or hoarseness has lasted more than a few weeks, see your doctor or an ENT to rule out other causes. Keep taking your medication as prescribed, and check with your doctor before changing anything. Save this for later, and follow me for more silent reflux tips. 💚 Source: Koufman, 2011, Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, prospective study, n=20, PMID 21675582 #silentreflux #LPR #throatclearing #acidreflux #refluxdietitian