Reflux: Fear of the Unknown For the past 4 years, I’ve been dealing with the dreaded “Acid Reflux.” This is not to say that I haven’t suffered from reflux for longer than this, but I just had no idea I had it! Its official title is actually, “Gastroesophageal reflux disease” (GERD) which just means the acid from your stomach travels up to your esophagus. Upon the my first visit to the ENT, I was told that I, like many other vocalists, suffer from this. However, I never encountered the typical symptoms such as heartburn or indigestion, and found out I had what is known as “silent reflux.” The real misconception with reflux is that acid is the only problem. In actuality, the real issue is how our bodies utilize the digestive enzyme Pepsin. When our bodies digest acidic foods, the pepsin lining in your stomach becomes active. Pepsin cannot begin to break down proteins without acid to activate it. However, pepsin molecules do not go away entirely after digestion and will hang around and cling to whatever is readily available to them, such as the delicate inner linings of the throat, esophagus, and larynx (voice box). Since this pepsin is only activated from acid (and it doesn’t matter if this is acid comes from foods or stomach acid), when you “reflux,” the pepsin that is stuck to those delicate membranes in the esophagus, throat, etc., begins to gnaw away at the tissue. The pepsin does most damage when triggered by foods with a pH 2 all the way up to pH 6, so the best way to combat reflux is through diet changes and awareness. Now, nearly every food that I absolutely love is a no-go for reflux (Spicy foods, citrus, chocolate, wine, you name it!), so this was probably the worst thing that a food-lover such as myself could have been told. Not to mention, if you are a starving artist in NYC trying to earn a living, pizza really is your best friend! As this relates to vocalists, acid reflux can cause hoarseness, chronic cough, trouble swallowing, post-nasal drip… the works! I can attest that the weeks where I’m super-conscious of not eating highly acidic foods, my voice feels a lot better, and it’s a lot easier to sing. It really is important we are at least aware of the choices we make in our diet, and it really is up to us. I will be the first to admit that I have bouts of indulging in acid-heavy foods, but I usually end up regretting it the next day. Still, I always stop and think about how it will affect my voice, and I hope that you will too! — If you are interested in learning more about reflux, I highly recommend, “Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure” by Jamie Koufman and Jordan Stern, where I actually learned most of this information regarding pepsin. It’s a great read and even has a food index where it lists the food and corresponding pH level. Enjoy!
