The Connection Between Sleep Apnea and GERD

Among the many comorbidities that exist with sleep apnea is GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. While most of us have suffered from occasional acid reflux or heartburn, GERD is characterized by the more frequent reflux occurrence, when stomach acid moves up from the stomach to the esophagus. Typically, the muscles at the bottom of the esophagus, known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), act like a valve that only opens to allow food to digest. When the LES is weakened, acid can escape, resulting in reflux or, if chronic, GERD.

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and GERD

According to the American Gastroenterological Association, one-third of the general population has GERD, although its symptoms vary significantly among those who suffer from this chronic illness. The relationship between GERD and sleep apnea is not completely clear. Still, it is a pervasive comorbidity with sleepapnea.org reporting up to 60% of sleep apnea sufferers also experience GERD. This is not surprising when you delve into what happens to GERD sufferers at night. Typically gravity helps to keep stomach acid in the stomach, so acid reflux and GERD tend to worsen at night when the body is lying down and cannot depend on the gravitational pull to help the stomach’s acid stay where it belongs. We also swallow less at night, so stomach acid doesn’t have that additional push to keep it down. And during the deeper stages of sleep, saliva production is lessened, so there is another missed opportunity for acid neutralization. It has been hypothesized that there is a change in the chest wall pressure during sleep apnea, which may predispose OSA sufferers to GERD. While the exact correlation has not been determined, what has been proven is that CPAP helps improve the symptoms of GERD. Doctor Bryan T. Green from Duke University Medical Center, along with his colleagues, believes by increasing chest pressure through the use of a CPAP device transmits pressure onto the esophagus helps to keep acid down. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 78% of the sleep apnea participants also suffered from GERD. After 6 months of CPAP therapy, there was a 62% improvement in heartburn and other GERD symptoms. The findings also stated that a high level of compliance was needed to achieve the most benefit from the therapy. In this study, standard Medicare compliance standards were used, defined as device use of over 4 hours per night for 70% of nights during a consecutive 30 day period any time in the first three months of initial usage.

CPAP Therapy for GERD Improvement and BetterNight's Solution

BetterNight’s virtual telehealth solution works seamlessly with your practice keeping both you and your patients connected by screening, diagnosing, and treating sleep apnea and GERD symptoms. Since compliance is critical to successful sleep apnea and GERD treatment, you can feel confident knowing that BetterNight utilizes the latest technology to collect and report on CPAP usage and compliance. BetterNight includes expert counseling from over 100 sleep professionals, including respiratory therapists, polysomnographers, Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, and data analysts. BetterNight has an impressive 99% patient satisfaction rating and over 70% average long-term adherence rate. By partnering with BetterNight, your patients will experience an efficient and convenient sleep health solution, providing benefits to combat sleep apnea and GERD.

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