Can Acid Reflux Cause Tosilitis And Swelling Of Lymph Nodes?

Posted on Sun, 2 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 2 Feb 2014 Answered on

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Can Acid reflux (GERD) cause tosilitis and swelling of nodes in the neck and swelling neck nodes? I am having GERD diagnosed for last one month and taking medicine for it Rabeprazole and Ranitidine. 10 days ago went to ENT because of tonsilitis and node swelling and he prescribed me moxfloxacin. Tonsilitis reduced then after taking medicine again it appeared today with little pain. My nodes in the neck again swollen like before? Could this be for acid reflux that I am having recurrent node swelling or because of any other serious issues like cancer etc. I have consulted 3 ENT and 1 Gastroenterologist and performed Endoscopy but all of them said no cancer. But personally I m not satisfied and always thinking of cancer etc. Please help me ..........please

Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Your history is not suggestive of cancer Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for the query. GERD can not be a cause of neck node swelling. Neck nodes swelling is because of enlargement of lymphnodes in neck which enlarge due to infective focus in the head & neck region. Tonsillitis is inflammation of tonsils due to infection and the causes of infection can be many. GERD can act as factor in recurrent infection in the throat as acid reflux can lead to inflammation of mucosa of throat and this inflamed mucosa is more prone to infection. Cancer as a cause of neck node enlargement is a reality but the primary disease lies in the head and neck region and from there the disease can travel to the nodes. But your endoscopy and examination by other ENT has not revealed anything like that. Also the character of neck nodes because of cancer is very different from that because of tonsillitis. So, please relax and do not worry about cancer. also use antiseptic gargles regularly for few days and the chances of recurrent infection of tonsils gets reduced. Feel free to ask another query. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Prahlad Duggal (16 minutes later)

Dear Doctor, I do have a history of allergy, polyps and continuous sneezing. I am taking flonase, I have DNS but not sinusitis along with GERD. My only question is that I visited 3 ENT specialist over last one or one and half months. I asked them specifically the same question about cancer. All of them after physical examination ruled out cancer. One of this have asked PNS CT scan. this scan was normal except for DNS etc. This doctor told me I have no cancer. He was the first to diagnose me GERD. But then for the last 10 days having twice the incidence of swelling of lymph node. When I take antibiotics, it reduces a bit but again showing symptoms. i read in the net that acid reflux can cause tonsilitis and there by swelling of node. Hence asked that question from experts. I know may be I am more anxious then what should be.........but u know life is very unpredictable. Sorry for long writings, With best regards,

Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Relax and do some dietary modifications Detailed Answer: Thanks for the query. yes life is unpredictable but the worry part should be based on reliable evidence which in your case is lacking. Your ENT examination is normal and even CT is normal. So, the chances of you being afflicted with cancer is same as mine having cancer without any evidence. GERD can lead to tonsillitis but I am again emphasizing that lymph node character for malignancy is different from infective and clinical examination can differentiate that with a reasonable reliability. Also malignant lymphnodes do not decrease in size with antibiotics. Also infective focus in the vicinity like you are describing also make one prone to episodes of tonsillitis and ENT consultation for sinusitis will help in this ask. So, relax and take a long term course of proton pump inhibitors along with dietary modifications like avoiding excessive tea, coffee, alcohol, junk food, spicy and oily foods. Antiseptic gargles help in reducing the infective exposure of the tonsils and may reduce the frequency of infective episodes. Feel free to ask another query. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj