An estimated 20% of Americans suffer heartburn and acid reflux at least once a week. In fact, frequent heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). With GERD, stomach acid flows up into the esophagus, causing discomfort, a bitter taste, and sometimes difficulty swallowing.
Heartburn symptoms can interfere with meals, sleeping, and enjoyment of life. Indeed, if you have regular heartburn, you know how it can begin to rule your life.
To help Americans with heartburn, WebMD took our video crew to the streets. We discovered people's top concerns about heartburn and took their questions to Sandra Fryhofer, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at Emory University, and Michael W. Smith, MD, WebMD's former chief medical editor. Do you have some of the same questions? Click on the heartburn questions below to see our doctors' answers.
Are ulcers and heartburn related? Find out what Fryhofer has to say about this risky connection.Lori of Cleveland, Ohio wants to know why heartburn happens at night. The doctor weighs in.
Jennifer from Knoxville, Tenn., recently had a baby and noticed that her heartburn got worse. What's the connection between pregnancy weight and heartburn? Smith explains.