Gerd prevalence

It's once again time to reach for those Tums as you feel the familiar burning pain filling your chest. Millions of Americans suffer from heartburn, sometime or the other and most dismiss it as a common syndrome resultant of spicy or fried foods and large meals and just forget about it till the next attack.

Heartburn, while a fairly common occurrence, needs to be treated with concern if the incidence is two or three times a week, as it is symptomatic of a far more serious problem known as GERD. GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is the term used to collectively describe all the esophageal disorders such as esophagitis or Barret's esophagus. GERD is the result of acid refluxing into the esophagus due to the malfunctioning of a weak LES or lower esophageal sphincter which is the muscular band at the lower end of the esophagus and whose function it is to close the stomach opening and prevent stomach acid from entering the esophagus while ensuring that food from the esophagus enters the stomach. This acid that backs up into the esophagus triggers off the nerve endings in the esophagus and causes the burning sensation, familiar to all of us as heartburn. Chronic heartburn can cause inflammation of the esophagus and eventually lead to cancer, th.erefore if GERD is left untreated it can be fatal.

Statistics on the frequency of heartburn and GERD differ greatly. In accordance with some approximations, 7% of Americans have heartburn everday and 14% suffer it at least once every week. Alternative estimates suggest that GERD affects about 20% of the adult American population, mostly those in their forties or older. But, GERD can affect people of all ages, including infants and children.

Additionally, chronic heartburn and GERD patients most often experience regurgitation and the acidic contents of the stomach cause a sour taste in the mouth and might produce excess saliva. Since the disease seems to break out at night, most patients are hounded by interrupted sleep and consequently daytime drowsiness. Yet, others with GERD have no symptoms at all.

While those with occasional episodes of heartburn can normally self medicate and use over-the-counter medications such as antacids for instant relief, those with frequent heartburn should consult a physician.

See more acid reflux statistics, and Gerd statistics