For GERD Sufferers, Common Sick Days May Cause Major Pains

Following celebratory events, both patients and employers are feeling chronic heartburn's impact

News provided by

Feb 01, 2017, 11:00 ET

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- What do the day after the Super Bowl, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July have in common? The day after national celebrations and holidays are often a time when many Americans – and their employers – feel the effects of food and alcohol overindulgence. For example, a 2016 study by the Workforce Institute suggested that 1 in 10 U.S. workers might have missed work the day after the Super Bowl due to the game.¹

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/80130241-endogastric-solutions-gerd-sufferers

Party favorites like alcohol, fatty foods and cola can all trigger heartburn,² but chronically experiencing this symptom could signify a more serious condition.³ An estimated 1 in 5 Americans have gastroesophageal reflux disease,⁴ known as GERD, causing pain for both patients and their employers. Employees with GERD may experience 41 percent more sick leave days than others.⁵Plus GERD symptoms cost the U.S. nearly $2 billion each week in lost productivity.⁶ These typical and atypical symptoms can include:⁷

Heartburn
Chest pain
Persistent cough
Hoarseness
Excessive throat clearing
Trouble sleeping
Allergies
Dental problems including erosion, gum disease or bad breath
And more, according to GERDHelp.com

Like personal preferences on party snacks, a patient's approach to managing acid reflux disease should uniquely address his or her experience and be determined collaboratively with a physician—a gastroenterologist or surgeon that specializes in GERD diagnosis and treatment. Those with occasional heartburn may be advised to make diet and lifestyle changes,³ while others with consistent heartburn may take over-the-counter or prescription medications for GERD, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

Following diagnosis, a physician can also assess if adults with GERD symptoms are candidates for the TIF^® procedure, a medical procedure and GERD treatment that addresses the anatomical issue that leads to reflux, without pills or incisions.⁸ Recently published data at the three-year post procedure mark showed that 83 percent of patients maintained elimination of all GERD symptoms, while 70 percent of patients had completely discontinued the use of prescribed or over-the-counter pills to treat the condition.⁹

Instead of shrugging off potential symptoms of GERD by taking a sick day, patients should talk to a physician about the condition, the TIF procedure and the treatment options that are best for them. For more information, visit GERDHelp.com and GERDHelp.com on Facebook and Twitter.

About EndoGastric Solutions^®Based in Redmond, WA, EndoGastric Solutions, Inc. (www.endogastricsolutions.com), is a medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative, evidence-based, incisionless surgical technology for the treatment of GERD. EGS has combined the most advanced concepts in gastroenterology and surgery to develop the Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF^®) 2.0 procedure—a minimally invasive solution that addresses a significant unmet clinical need.

References

Maroney, Joyce. Super Bowl Workplace Impact. The Workforce Institute. 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Diet & Lifestyle Changes. Updated 12 February 2016. Accessed 17 January 2017.
American College of Gastroenterology. Understanding GERD. Accessed 17 January 2017.
El-Serag H. Update on the epidemiology of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review. Gut. 2014 June; 63(6): 871–880.
Wahlqvist P, Brook RA, Campbell SM, et al. Objective measurement of work absence and on-the-job productivity: A case-control study of US employees with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease. J Occup Environ Med 2008; 50(1):25-31.
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. GERD Costs America Nearly $2 Billion Each Week in Lost Productivity. Updated 03 August 2015. Accessed 17 January 2017.
GERDHelp.com. GERD Symptoms: Typical and Atypical. Accessed 18 January 2017.
GERDHelp.com. About the TIF Procedure. Accessed 8 November 2016.
EndoGastricSolutions.com. EndoGastric Solutions Announces Publication of Long-Term Data Demonstrating TIF^® 2.0 Procedure Offers Durable Treatment of Chronic GERD. Accessed 10 November 2016.