Can gastroesophageal reflux be due to low hemoglobin?

Question

Hello doctor,

My father is diagnosed with a gastrointestinal problem. The doctor has told him that he has an ulcer, and his hemoglobin is low. He has undergone a capsule video endoscopy and a bone marrow test, and all these tests have been normal. He also has reflux of food when he is sleeping. If he walks more, he gets a breathing problem. He is having high BP for which he is using Ramcor-H 2.5 and Stamlo-2.5 tablets. For iron deficiency anemia, the following tests have been performed: Endoscopy, colonoscopy, abdominal CT scan, capsule video endoscopy, and bone marrow. I have attached the reports for your reference.

Kindly guide.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your father's test reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity), and he has microcytic hypochromic anemia. The most common cause of this is iron deficiency.

This could be due to bleeding from duodenal ulcers over a long period of time.

I would advise that he take iron and folic acid tablets after food twice daily in addition to existing medications.

As for reflux, ask him not to lie down within two hours of eating. When he lies down, he should sleep on his side, preferably the left side, and avoid lying on his back.

He should continue his medications as advised. Shortness of breath is experienced by many causes involving the lungs and heart, but in your father's case, it is due to his heart since he has a history of hypertension (high blood pressure). It could also be exaggerated by his iron deficiency anemia. He should incorporate daily walking into his lifestyle to improve this.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.

Thank you.