GUT REACTIONS

摘要

For many people, heartburn is an occasional annoyance that may follow an ill-considered late-night snack of pizza with extra pep-peroni. But for those with a related condition called gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD, the burning sensations and chest pain are nothing short of misery. "GERD can be a serious condition," says Jack A. Di Paima, M.D., FACG, professor of medicine and director of the division of gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. "Studies have shown that quality of life is less in heartburn patients than in those with ulcers or cardiac conditions."