▻ In the current pandemic era, being indoors for months and conducting a sedentary lifestyle has raised the occurrence of gastrointestinal and digestive problems: cases of acid reflux have been noticed to increase a lot during this past year.

When travelling through our digestive system, food meets the lower oesophageal sphincter, a valve-like muscle that opens and closes to let the food in and to prevent the stomach content from sliding back up. Whenever this valve malfunctions, stomach acids might leak into the oesophagus, an uncomfortable process is known as acid reflux, which it is often accompanied by heartburn, a painful burning sensation in the centre of the chest. When such non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) happens frequently and persistently, you might be dealing with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the most serious form of acid reflux. Reportedly, up to 30% of the adult population in Western countries may suffer from this GERD nowadays.

This mainly happens for two reasons: diet and lack of adequate physical activity, two habits quite hard to keep in full control when in lockdown. Furthermore, let’s not forget that staying at home for a prolonged period can even cause stress and anxiety which increase the recurrence to unhealthy habits such as binge eating and snacking or excessive consumptions of tobacco and alcohol.

If you wish to discover more about acid reflux, its causes and remedies you might also like our article Acid reflux during quarantine?

The most recent therapies to treat patients affected by GERD or NERD are focusing on the benefits of high-molecular weight, food grade Hyaluronic Acid, such as SinoHyal FG-H or SinoHyal FG-XH. Hyaluronic Acid regulates cellular function by interacting with specific receptors and it is involved in several key physiological processes, including wound repair, tissue regeneration and inflammation regulation.

From a merely physical perspective, orally ingested Hyaluronans coat the oesophageal mucosa, acting as a cushioning agent to form a mechanical barrier against the noxious components of the acid reflux. Thus, it prevents the reflux from damaging the mucosa any further. At the same time, from a biochemical point of view, Hyaluronic Acid promotes wound repair and tissue regeneration while delivering its anti-inflammatory properties to the interested region. Studies showed remarkably good results after a short-term treatment on both patients diagnosed with NERD and GERD: Hyaluronic Acid allowed a significant and rapid symptoms relief and a faster recovery of the mucosal integrity.

Although further investigation on this topic are needed, current results suggest Hyaluronans are very effective in the treatment of GERD, alleviating its symptom, allowing a faster recovery and extending remission periods .