IN THE LATEST Putting Your Health First podcast available on all major podcast platforms, the two Health First physicians lay out the telltale signs and dangers of “extensive acid exposure in the esophagus,” or GERD, says Health First Gastroenterologist Dr. Xiaosong Song, at right, who is joined by General Surgeon Dr. Nathan Allison, left.

In gastroesophageal reflux, the pressure in the stomach overpowers the lower esophageal sphincter, and the contents of the stomach flow backward. For some, it means treatment with an over-the-counter medicine, but for others for whom the symptoms persist, it can mean surgery, or, if left untreated, the slow development of throat cancer, say Health First physicians Xiaosong Song, MD, and Nathan Allison, MD on the latest Putting Your Health First, a podcast from Health First.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN to Drs. Allison and Song discuss reflux – what to beware of and what can be done about it.

Reflux can happen after a big meal, because of overdrinking, or both, or even falling asleep too close in time to either. It may affect people at any age, though old age is a risk factor. Weight gain, stress mismanagement, diet, drinking and the development of a hiatal hernia are further risk factors. (A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper stomach pushes past the hiatus of the diaphragm into the chest. It typically strains the lower esophageal sphincter.)

Dr. Song said the most common reflux complaint is heartburn, but some patients simply feel a “lump in the throat,” soreness or the sensation of digested food rising into their esophagus. There are also atypical symptoms, including “silent” (asymptomatic) reflux discovered during an endoscopy – a physical exam that involves probing the esophagus with a small camera.

READ the full feature on the podcast at Space Coast Daily HERE.