My daughter struggled with minor respiratory issues for 10 years. Home from college, in cold air she choked and turned blue. “I’m okay; I just have to get out of the cold.” I intuitively suspected something “wrong” with her esophagus. But without heartburn there were no answers ANYWHERE. Years later, in 2000, she called, “For the last two days I’ve had heartburn.” I suddenly realized she had something I had vaguely heard of; atypical gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The hallmark of “ordinary GERD” is heartburn; in atypical GERD, its absence makes a digestive problem seem an unlikely cause. Since 2000 I have studied the body’s response to regurgitated digestive contents. I find respiratory diseases commonly associated with GERD. Each day I learn more, or better understand, this complex, common disorder some call “the great masquerader”. The University of Virginia School of Medicine states:”Symptoms related to GERD represent one of the most common, often confusing, health problems seen in primary care. The frequency of GERD has increased in recent years…” GERD is the only known cause of esophageal adenocarcinoma, the MOST RAPIDLY ADVANCING OCCURRENCE OF ANY CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that it takes, “about 17 years for a new treatment for a given disease to make its way into routine patient care”. I this guess means we’re about half way there from a time line. Please remember, as some obscure philosopher once said, “The eyes only see what the mind already knows”.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that it takes, “about 17 years for a new treatment for a given disease to make its way into routine patient care”. I this guess means we’re about half way there from a time line. Please remember, as some obscure philosopher once said, “The eyes only see what the mind already knows”.