Silver Cross Hospital to Offer ‘More Than Just a Heartburn’ Lecture 

Do you get some heartburn every few months, maybe after a rich meal? Or are you popping antacids daily like sunflower seeds? 

The latter could be a sign that something more serious is going on with your digestive system, one that if not addressed properly, could lead to pre-cancerous conditions. 

To help sort out your symptoms, Dr. Rameez Alasadi, a board-certified Interventional Gastroenterologist on staff at Silver Cross Hospital  in New Lenox, is offering a program entitled “More Than Just a Heartburn” from 5 to 6 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Pavilion A at the hospital, 1890 Silver Cross Boulevard. 

The program will include a discussion on chronic heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the latest treatments. 

“Reflux disease has been growing rapidly because our society is heading in the direction of increased obesity,” Dr. Alasadi said. “For men especially, the extra weight in our abdominal region can push on the area where the flap usually prevents stomach acid and food to flow back up our esophagus. 

“If not treated, that recurring acid can cause a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus. The cancers of the esophagus we see usually in the United States are caused by acid reflux.” 

More serious symptoms include choking on food, unintentional weight loss, vomiting blood, anemia and blood in the stool. If there are reflux symptoms two or three times a week, and a steady daily diet of antacids, Dr. Alasadi said it’s time to get checked out. 

“That’s why the FDA puts warning labels on over-the-counter medications to use them only for 14 days. If you need them longer than that, you need to see your doctor.” 

Dr. Alasadi’s program also will focus on treatment options, ranging from medications to minimally invasive procedures performed orally with the use of flexible scope, or surgery to correct the hiatal hernia causing the reflux. 

To register for the program, visit silvercross.org.