When Heartburn-Related Problems Turn Serious, NCH Specialists Turn to Latest Treatments
November is Heartburn Awareness Month, which is timely considering the upcoming holiday season when many Americans tend to overindulge. It’s also timely because heartburn-related problems are on the rise. “Chronic heartburn is not something to be ignored,” said Dr. Willis Parsons, an expert at treating heartburn who leads a team of specialists at the Gastroenterology Center at Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights.
Arlington Heights, IL (PRWEB) November 3, 2009 -- Heartburn is a painful condition that most people have experienced at one time or another, especially around the holidays. In fact, one in 10 Americans experiences heartburn symptoms at least once a week.
Dr. Willis Parsons, an expert at treating heartburn, leads a team of specialists at the Gastroenterology Center at Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights.
“Heartburn typically doesn’t pose a serious health problem for people,” said Dr. Willis Parsons, medical director of the Gastroenterology Center at Northwest Community Hospital in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. “But chronic heartburn is not something to be ignored. If left untreated, it can result in serious health problems, even cancer.”
Dr. Parsons advises that people who suffer from chronic heartburn ask their doctor to recommend a GI physician who can look closely at the esophagus and determine its specific condition.
Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Heartburn, or acid reflux, is an irritation of the esophagus caused by acid that comes up from the stomach. Heartburn is also a symptom of more serious gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. If left untreated, GERD can turn into Barrett’s esophagus, where the lining of the esophagus is damaged after repeated exposure to stomach acid.
“Barrett’s sufferers are 125 times more likely than others to develop esophageal cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease,” Dr. Parsons said. “Esophageal cancer is now the fastest growing form of cancer in America. It’s rising faster than breast cancer, prostate cancer or melanoma.”
The good news is that there’s a successful treatment for Barrett’s. The treatment is called HALO Ablation Therapy, or endoscopic ablation therapy, from BARRX Medical. The treatment uses heat to burn off precancerous spots on the esophagus. A newly acquired device called the HALO 360 is used to provide the treatment.
“It’s a simple procedure that doesn’t require surgery,” Dr. Parsons said. “It usually takes only 35 to 45 minutes. It’s very safe and patients recover quickly, although they may have a sore throat or chest discomfort for a few days after the procedure.”
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2009 found this treatment to be highly effective at zapping away the potentially precancerous cells associated with Barrett’s esophagus.
For more information on heartburn and HALO Ablation Therapy, visit Northwest Community Hospital online at www.nch.org/heartburn.
###
Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/VGhpci1DcmFzLVByb2YtUHJvZi1Qcm9mLUNvdXAtWmVybw==
Bookmark -
Del.icio.us |
Furl It |
Technorati |
Ask |
MyWeb |
Propeller |
Live Bookmarks |
Newsvine |
TailRank |
Reddit |
Slashdot |
Digg |
Stumbleupon |
Google Bookmarks |
Sphere |
Blink It |
Spurl
|
