The key messages of this awareness campaign are:
Consult your GP if you have
persistent heartburn, particularly at night, for three weeks or more.
persistent indigestion, for three weeks or more.
persistent hiccups or regurgitation of food
difficulty or pain in swallowing food
unexplained weight loss.
Do not keep taking over-the-counter digestion remedies week after week without seeing your GP to investigate underlying causes (which most frequently will be less serious than cancer)
GPs should consider a review of patients taking prescription remedies for reducing stomach acid after an appropriate period.
An endoscopic examination is the only sure way of detecting Barrett's oesophagus or oesophageal cancer. This may need to include those at a younger age than the current profile for diagnosis.
Diet, obesity, stress, tobacco and alcohol may contribute to heartburn. There are good reasons for us to address these issues, even if they do not contribute to us deve