Heartburn and acid reflux strike many people as an annoying and painful but ultimately harmless problem — a result of overindulgence and gluttony that must be endured, much like a hangover after a night of drinking.
But frequent bouts of heartburn and reflux constitute a real medical condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, and is on the rise worldwide.
“The overall prevalence is increasing over the past decades,” said Dr. Ronnie Fass, a medical advisory board member for the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders who’s also a professor of medicine at the University of Arizona and chief of gastroenterology at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System.
http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=657378
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