{"id":7786,"date":"2018-11-12T16:16:31","date_gmt":"2018-11-12T21:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10028\/uncategorized\/the-connection-between-the-wtc-attacks-and-a-gerd-diagnosis\/"},"modified":"2022-08-18T21:16:12","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T01:16:12","slug":"the-connection-between-the-wtc-attacks-and-a-gerd-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/napolilaw.lemonadestand.org\/en\/article\/the-connection-between-the-wtc-attacks-and-a-gerd-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Connection Between the WTC Attacks and a GERD Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a long-term condition where acid from the stomach comes up into the esophagus. Many people occasionally experience gastroesophageal reflux (GER). In most cases, the normal heart burn and indigestion people feel is short lived and flares up only in certain stressful situations or after eating certain trigger foods. However, if an individual experiences persistent acid reflux that occurs more than twice a week, they may be diagnosed with GERD. In other words, GERD is the long-term, regular occurrence of GER. A surprising thing many people do not know is that the majority of individuals who survived the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks<\/a> as well as many who worked rescue and clean up efforts, have suffered from GERD in the years that have followed the attack.<\/p>\n

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What is GERD?<\/h2>\n

\u201cGastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition where stomach acid persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus. The esophagus may also be referred to as the food pipe or gullet and is the tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach. The acid in the esophagus causes\u00a0heartburn and other symptoms, as well as possible tissue damage. The American College of Gastroenterology says that at least\u00a015 million\u00a0Americans, or\u00a020 percent\u00a0of the American population, experience heartburn every day\u201d (Medical News Today<\/a>). GERD on its own can be painful and annoying and reduce the quality of life for many, however, it can also worsen even further and turn into other conditions if left untreated. These include:<\/p>\n