NHBA declares its support of Heartburn Awareness Month

CHICAGO The National Heartburn Alliance recently announced its November sponsoring of Heartburn Awareness Month, a national education and awareness program for heartburn sufferers.

“Between overindulging in food and drink and a variety of lifestyle habits that tend to change over the holidays, heartburn can increase in some patients,” stated Stuart Spechler, NHBA board member and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at the Dallas VA Medical Center. “The materials developed on behalf of the NHBA are able to provide health care professionals with a resource that sufferers can easily take with them when they leave the office.” 

Last year, health care professionals helped to educate more than 120,000 consumers through Heartburn Awareness Month. The goal of Heartburn Awareness Month is to screen, educate and treat patients who suffer from heartburn, using the free tools and patient education materials available through the Alliance.

According to a recent Alliance survey, one out of two Americans reported they would enjoy the holidays more if it weren’t for heartburn—with overindulging in food and drink as the most likely cause (58 percent). More than one-third of consumers (37 percent) reported they are more likely to suffer from heartburn during the holidays than they are during an average week of the year.

“Holiday get-togethers naturally bring an increase in treats available during the holidays,” added Wendy Wright, family nurse practitioner and fellow NHBA board member. “What sufferers need to know is that there are simple steps you can take to help prevent heartburn before it starts. For instance, although mint and spearmint can be found in many holiday candies, what many people don’t know is that mint is a heartburn trigger.”