Heartburn Center
Offering specialized diagnostics and treatment for GERD at the Center for Digestive Health in Tupelo.
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Chronic Heartburn Can Eat Away at Quality of Life & Your Digestive Health
The Heartburn Center at the Center for Digestive Health in Tupelo can offer personalized care and medical expertise to address chronic heartburn.
Common Condition, Serious Stakes
If you avoid foods you love and labor through painful, sleepless nights because of chronic heartburn, you are not alone. As many as 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. About 25 million adults in the United States experience daily heartburn. Many times lifestyle and dietary changes alone cannot prevent chronic heartburn. Ignoring chronic heartburn is not recommended. Left untreated, chronic acid reflux can damage the esophagus and possibly lead to esophageal cancer.
GERD – which stands for is a gastroesophageal reflux disease – is a condition where stomach acid backs up into the lower esophagus two or more times a week. GERD usually begins as a burning pain that starts behind the breastbone and radiates upward to the neck. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) stops the flow of acid into the esophagus. When it is weak or relaxes inappropriately, GERD can occur. The symptoms of GERD include:
Heartburn
Regurgitation
Belching
Bloating
Hoarseness
Chronic Sore Throat
Difficulty Breathing
Difficulty Sleeping or Lying Flat
At the Heartburn Center, we are on the cutting edge of emerging diagnostic and treatment trends. From medicine to minimally invasive surgery, you can rest easy, knowing the most thorough evaluations and treatments are at our command. Our team includes board-certified gastroenterologists and nurses who are specially trained in chronic heartburn management. We offer a number of diagnostic procedures to evaluate GERD and its impact on your digestive tract including:
Upper endoscopy to evaluate tissue in the esophagus and stomach.
Esophageal manometry is used measures pressures & function in the esophagus.
24-hour pH impedance study records acid & non-acid levels while you are at home.
96-Hour Bravo pH study tracks acid levels for four days using a capsule.
Medical Therapy & Emerging Treatments
The array of medications for heartburn treatment is rapidly changing. Through continuing education, our staff gastroenterologists are highly knowledgeable in the proper use, dosing and effects of all medications and can help you make decisions on the medication's benefits versus its expense. To ensure you get the best care available, our staff constantly evaluates and incorporates new and emerging therapies and technologies, including endoscopic therapies. Our physicians participate in national clinical research studies and provide their expertise as a test site for leading edge therapies and technologies.
