For transparency I have acid reflux - diagnosed & doing acid watcher diet. Meds don’t really suit me so am managing w diet and gaviscon advance but it’s not completely gone. I know a lot about the variety of symptoms from dealing with it myself - I read proper advice from experts in the field.
So it looks like DS has it too. He’s 19, at uni, been through a v stressful year (started w mild symptoms about a year ago). Seen an ENT at home privately in summer who said it wasn’t reflux but he still has awful
post-nasal drip/mucous and a sore and inflamed throat which ENT saw on camera - but still declared it wasn’t LPR/reflux. althpugh these are typical symptoms. He’s not an allergic person unlike DD.At home in summer he was using Neilmed sinus rinse but it’s too much of a faff at uni. He was also prescribed a steroid spray.
So he calls me today & says his throat is worse. He’s been using the GAviscon Advance I sent him back with, but annoyingly he sometimes smokes. Exactly what the ENT says not to do, whatever was going on, so I’m sure it’s made it worse. His diet is relatively ok for a student and he’s not having fizzy drinks atm, but does drink beer. It will be impossible for him to go on a strict low acid diet while there.
He said he’ll go to GP there now he’s registered in uni city and in meantime get sterimar which is saline spray.
From being on Reflux FB pages etc I know it can take years to be diagnosed, but it’s not something that can be left either.
It’s hard when it’s your child as you just want them to be ok, but he’s an adult so he has to manage this.I don’t want to scare him with the fact it can lead to cancer in the future either as he’s anxious enough as it is! If anyone has tips for me to get through to him about the not smoking particularly, that would be great.