‘Laryngopharyngeal reflux’ is a common attribution for persistent throat symptoms. These include the feeling of a lump, cough, hoarseness, and throat clearing.
GPs and hospital doctors often prescribe medications, known as proton pump inhibitors, that suppress the production of stomach acid to treat these symptoms.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) work by directly inhibiting stomach acid release. Proton pumps are also enzymes in the lining of your stomach that help it make acid. Examples of frequently prescribed PPIs include omeprazole, lansoprazole and esomeprazole.
Yet a recent research study has found that PPIs offer no benefit over dummy pills for persistent throat symptoms with researchers warning that they should not be prescribed to treat throat symptoms.
To assess the value of proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients with persistent throat symptoms, the study recruited 346 participants to a multicentre UK trial in eight UK ear, nose and throat departments. Participants took lansoprazole or placebo for 16 weeks.
Participants on lansoprazole did not report significantly better outcomes than participants on placebo on any of three different questionnaires in measuring throat symptoms.
The study suggests the message for primary and secondary care resonates with other messages concerning overuse of PPIs when evidence is weak or lacking.
Measurement of salivary pepsin using Peptest has several attributes of an optimal diagnostic tool. It is already well known to be affordable, rapid in time to diagnosis, non-invasive, and easy to administer and also has ‘the potential to minimise the use of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy’.
An early and objective diagnosis of reflux, such as Peptest provides, opens the door to lifestyle changes, and future treatment.
Peptest can also assess the effectiveness of reflux treatments after completion to determine their success or failure.
Find out more about Peptest and order your Peptest home testing kit now.
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