Link Found Between Asthma and GERD

Common Form of Indigestion May Raise the Risk of Asthma By Jennifer Warner WebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD July 25, 2008 -- Chronic indigestion may alter the immune system and raise the risk of asthma, according to a new study that helps explain why so many people with asthma also suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease . Researchers say the link between asthma and GERD has been a mystery for years. Previous studies have shown that 50%-90% of people with asthma also suffer from gastric reflux, but until now the relationship between the two conditions was unclear. The study shows that inhaling small amounts of stomach acid back up into the esophagus and lungs, a hallmark of GERD, slowly produces changes in the immune system that may lead to the development of asthma. "This does not mean that everyone... [read full story]