Acid reflux damages the esophageal mucosa and may also cause laryngeal tissue injury, leading to the development of pulmonary symptoms.

Acid peptic diseases can arise due to various risk factors such as Helicobacter pylori infection, alcoholism, tobacco use, cocaine and amphetamine use, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (NSAIDs), fasting, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, angiogenesis inhibitor-treated cancer, and bariatric surgery.

[3] Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus.

[12] The initial diagnostic test for ZES is a fasting serum gastrin level when antisecretory medications are stopped.

If the gastrin level is high, the acidity of the stomach is measured using pH or gastric analysis.

[11] Histamine 2 antagonists and PPIs have largely replaced antacids as the primary treatment for most acid-peptic disorders; however, they continue to play a role because they are inexpensive, widely available, and safe in the majority of populations.

Antacids primarily affect the stomach by partially neutralizing gastric hydrochloric acid and inhibiting the proteolytic enzyme pepsin.