Heartburn epidemic causes concern

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Jennifer Sheppard was a new mother and had a new life ahead of her, but she was afraid to lie down because of the burning pain she would feel. She had acid reflux because of a Hiatal hernia . She had become one of a growing number of Americans suffering from heartburn.

"I was taking PPIs (proton-pump inhibitors) in the mornings, and then I would end my evenings with Tums, said chronic heartburn patient Sheppard.

Sheppard developed chronic heartburn during pregnancy and was terrified -- not because of what it would do to her baby, but because of what she watched happen to her brother just years before.

"He went to the doctor when he was 39, and they told him right away that he had cancer and gave him six months to live," said Sheppard. "He passed away two months after that."

Heartburn made her brother Brian Bone's life miserable for years. He tried to avoid the foods that triggered it but always suffered from it. Bone's did not like to talk about it, according to his sister, but did not know the acid was changing the makeup of cells in his esophagus which led to esophageal cancer .

"He just couldn't believe it," said Sheppard. "It was horrible. Even the doctor said this stuff shouldn't happen until later on in life. 

It is estimated 22 million Americans struggle with heartburn daily and national health organizations say the epidemic is only getting worse.

Dr. F. Paul (Tripp) Buckley, III, at Scott and White's Heartburn and Acid Reflux Center , sees the proof in his office.

"There's a recent study out of Europe suggesting that the number of visits to primary care doctors for heartburn or GERD has increased 46 percent since 2004, so it really is a big epidemic," said Buckley.

Buckley says some of his patients can lessen their reflux symptoms by changing their diets. Some heartburn triggers include alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, citrus drinks and tomato-based meals. Other patients take proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, to reduce the acid in their stomach moving up into the esophagus. When the medicines do not work or the patient has to continually rely on them, Buckley often recommends a surgery called laparoscopic nissen fundoplication.

"We use small trocars and fancy long instruments with scopes that allow us to go in and perform a wrap of the stomach around the esophagus and repair the hiatal hernia," said Buckley.

Buckley said the surgery can fix the problem causing the heartburn, unlike the acid-blocking medications that just cover up the symptoms.

"When we think about these medications we know that they take the acid down in your stomach, but they're not actually stopping the reflux," said Buckley.

The medicines did not work for Sheppard, but the surgery did. Buckley says it is likely the increased chances of getting esophageal cancer are hereditary in Sheppard's family, but heartburn itself is not. She has been heartburn-free since the surgery and wants others to not take heartburn lightly.

"It's just something so common you would never think it could end like it has in our family," said Sheppard.  "I would just recommend just go see a doctor and get it checked out."