Study Status: Enrolling by invitation
Recruit Status: Enrolling by invitation
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Assessing the Impacts of an Upper Esophageal Sphincter Assist Device on Laryngeal Symptoms and Salivary Pepsin: A Pilot Study
Brief Summary: It is postulated that the incompetence of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) to restrict passage of esophageal refluxate is fundamental to the development of LPR. The UES Assist Device (UESAD) is a novel device that applies relatively modest external cricoid pressure, which results in a 20 to 30 mmHg intraluminal UES pressure increase. Pepsin, a proteolytic enzyme produced in the stomach, has been detected in the laryngeal epithelium of patients with reflux associated laryngeal symptoms and implicated in the pathogenesis of laryngopharyngeal reflux. This study will asses the effectiveness of a UESAD worn for 2 weeks on LPR symptoms and salivary pepsin levels.