Nighttime GERD
By:
Jean Carper
If you lose sleep from heartburn, then you may want to cut back on carbonated soft drinks, says Ronnie Fass, M.D., of the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
High acidity in the drinks can trigger nighttime heartburn.
In a study of 15,000 people, those who drank more than one carbonated soft drink daily were about 25% more apt to have heartburn while asleep than non-imbibers. Being overweight pushed up odds by about 30%.
Fass says nighttime heartburn is common and often a sign of GERD, or acid reflux. Symptoms: being awakened at night by coughing or choking caused by fluid, a bitter taste in the mouth and food in the throat.
Copyright 2004 Jean Carper. Printed first in USA Weekend. All rights reserved.
For more information from Jean Carper, go to www.Jeancarper.com
What's this?