Video Library

Simple heartburn can be a serious problem. Heartburn is because of acid reflux or GERD. This happens when you have a weakness in the lower sphincter or a valve in the bottom of the esophagus, which causes acid that’s made in the stomach to reflux back and cause damage to the lower part of the esophagus. This can lead to scarring and inflammation in the esophagus and also lead to a change called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a precancerous condition that can happen over time. So yes, acid reflux and heartburn can lead to cancer and is a serious concern.

Heartburn is a symptom and the term used to describe the substernal chest burning or upper-abdominal burning that we typically associate with gastroesophageal reflux disease or that reflux of acidic contents backing up into the esophagus. GERD is the disease state, but heartburn is a symptom. It has nothing to do with the heart itself.

In terms of when we ask patients to seek treatment for reflux symptoms, there are some clues we look for, and signs and symptoms that we identify patients for which we might think they need further evaluation. One of those symptoms is chest pain. We also always want to exclude heart disease as being the cause of the patient’s chest pain before we chalk it up to reflux disease. Additionally if patients have trouble swallowing or pain with swallowing, that would prompt us to do a little more research. One of the problems with reflux disease is, if left untreated over time, that reflux can damage the bottom of the esophagus and cause what’s called Barrett’s esophagus. That condition is important for us to know about and screen patients for Barrett’s esophagus because untreated Barrett’s esophagus can result in esophageal cancer. It’s a very high risk associated with Barrett’s esophagus and one of the reasons why we want to identify patients that may be at risk for its development.

It’s not unusual for people to have heartburn. That doesn’t mean that a patient or person has gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is better defined as having heartburn on a weekly basis. Initially, patients may treat themselves. If they’re experiencing other symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing or painful swallowing, they may present with a cough and heartburn. If patients have had these symptoms for a long time, they ought to also be seen to evaluate for any precancerous conditions such as Barrett’s esophagus.