Why GERD Can Often Go Undiagnosed

CLEVELAND - It is GERD Awareness Week, which is always held the same week as Thanksgiving. 

Reports show GERD, which is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease, affects roughly 20% of Americans. 

But there are countless others who don’t even know they have it. 

“It typically includes a constellation of symptoms that can occur when things in our stomach, be it foods, liquids, the acid that’s produced in the stomach, comes back up or refluxes up into the esophagus,” explained Matthew Hoscheit, MD, gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. 

Dr. Hoscheit said in some cases, a person may think that they simply have heartburn or acid reflux. 

However, GERD is much more serious. 

It’s a chronic condition that typically includes symptoms like burning of the chest, regurgitation, nausea and sore throat. 

A person may also experience chronic coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. 

Dr. Hoscheit said if left untreated, GERD can cause other medical issues. 

“There are consequences for some people if it’s ignored. It can cause inflammation in the esophagus, which we call reflux esophagitis, as well as ulcers. It’s important to know if that’s the case because we have a lot of ways of treating that and getting people feeling better,” he said.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Dr. Hoscheit reminds people who have GERD to take their time when eating. 

Eatinglarge amounts of food too quickly can trigger symptoms. 

He also recommends making sure you have your medications ready if needed.