Gastroenterologist told about the dangers of belching and heartburn
Regular belching and heartburn may seem harmless, but they can be harbingers of serious diseases. This was stated to "Izvestia" on September 21 by gastroenterologist of JSC "Medicine" (clinic of academician Roitberg), Candidate of Medical Sciences Evgeny Belousov.
According to him, heartburn and often accompanied by belching - one of the main symptoms of GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease, which affects up to 46% of adults in Russia. The heartburn symptom occurs in 80% of people with the disease.
"GERD occurs when the contents from the stomach are regularly thrown into the esophagus and leads to inflammation of the mucosa. It is especially common in overweight people, those who abuse alcohol, smoke and overeat. People taking certain medications also fall into the risk group. In addition, high physical activity or operations on the gastrointestinal tract can also provoke the disease," Belousov said.
The reasons for the development of GERD can be different: from an improper diet high in spices, sweet sodas and chocolate to severe stress, the gastroenterologist pointed out.
"Symptoms are difficult to ignore - four out of five patients regularly face heartburn, half of them face belching, and 20% have pain in the chest area when eating. All these manifestations, especially if they bother at night, seriously reduce the quality of life, but not only. The most dangerous is the possible complications in the absence of treatment. Among the most severe consequences of neglected GERD - bleeding, ulcers, narrowing of the esophagus and Barrett's esophagus. The latter is a pathological replacement of esophageal cells, and it, in turn, seriously increases the risk of esophageal cancer," the doctor warned.
In May, gastroenterologist and nutritionist Rustem Sadykov said that bad breath is a fairly common phenomenon. It is especially common in those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or are prone to tooth decay.
