Chronic heartburn isn’t just about you overeating. The acid reflux may eat away at you, specifically your esophagus.
Sreenivas Chintalapani, M.D. - Gastrointestinal Clinic of the Quad Cities
“Occasional heartburn shouldn’t be much of a worry. But if it’s persistent, involves after-exercise pain or if you’re having unplanned weight loss, it’s time to see a physician,” says Dr. Sreenivas Chintalapani, a fellowship-trained gastroenterologist at the Gastrointestinal Clinic of the Quad Cities.
If you have persistent heartburn and you are a white male smoker over age 50 who is losing weight, you’re flying most of the red flags for serious GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease). If heartburn is affecting your sleep or your enjoyment of food, doctors are standing by to help you out – and you probably need them.
You may find that your doctor recommends an endoscopy. If your doctor sees any of a number of serious conditions, you might be talking about special medication or even surgery to correct a hiatal hernia or other condition. And don’t put it off too long – severe GERD can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, which is a serious risk factor for esophageal cancer. (This cancer can be treated by using Radio Frequency Ablation in some patients and can potentially prevent this type of cancer in the future.)
What is GERD?
Technically speaking, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus. The resulting irritation to the esophagus is what we commonly refer to as “heartburn.”
During normal digestion, the food you eat is kept in the stomach by ring of muscle fibers at the top of your stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. When the LES doesn’t close well, food, liquid, and stomach acid can leak back into the esophagus. This is called reflux or gastroesophageal reflux. This reflux causes discomfort and may even damage the esophagus.
Common risk factors for reflux include hiatal hernia (a condition in which part of the stomach moves above the diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities), pregnancy, and scleroderma. Obesity, cigarettes, and possibly alcohol also increase the chance of GERD.
How to deal with GERD
Health care providers usually recommend lifestyle and dietary changes to relieve the symptoms of GERD and some people need medication. But the only way to know how severe the situation and what all of your options are is to see a doctor.
You may want to see a specialist
If you’re suffering from frequent heartburn, you may want to see a gastroenterologist who can discuss your heartburn and other risk factors with you and help determine if you have GERD or some other problem. You can receive a free referral to a gastroenterologist by calling the MVHNews Patient Advocate at (563) 344-6653 or by using our online form to send her an email request.
Prevent Colon Cancer
If you are aged 50 or over, schedule your colon cancer screening colonoscopy today.
Gastrointestinal Clinic of the Quad Cities
5041 Utica Ridge Rd. Suite 100
Davenport, IA 52807
563-359-9696
or in Illinois
4340 7th St.
Moline, IL, 61265
309-277-9220
For other stories related to this subject, check out the following:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a comprehensive explanation the symptoms and causes of GERD.
- There is a National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, which provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families.
