When is heartburn more than “just” heartburn?

If you suffer from heartburn more than twice a week or have trouble falling asleep because of it, have an NCH gastroenterologist look at your esophagus. You could have gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which is treatable.

If you ignore it, the constant backing up of stomach acids can burn the lining of your esophagus, leading to a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s Esophagus. And that’s just one step away from cancer.

Don’t wait. To make an appointment to have your esophagus checked or to find a doctor, call Health Connections at 847.618.4YOU (4968).

You know what heartburn feels like.
But do you know what it can do to you?

That burning sensation is caused by stomach acids backing up into
your esophagus, the tube that carries food to your stomach. Those
acids can damage delicate tissue. Sometimes the damage leads to cancer.

That’s why chronic heartburn is something you can’t ignore.

Northwest Community Hospital introduces  HALO Ablation Therapy, a new outpatient treatment for Barrett's that can stop esophageal cancer before it starts. 

At Northwest Community’s Gastroenterology Center, our nationally recognized experts are leaders in utilizing innovative HALO ablation technology from BARRX Medical.  The HALO system is a groundbreaking treatment that can remove damaged tissue from your esophagus without surgery.

In fact, a recent study shows that HALO Ablation Therapy is highly effective at preventing cancer of the esophagus by removing or destroying pre-cancerous cells. And Northwest Community performs more of these procedures than any other hospital in Illinois.

To learn more about Gastroenterology services at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, click here.

Northwest Community Hospital: the best is here for you.

Dr. Willis Parsons, medical director of the Gastroenterology Center, speaks with Bob Sirrott about advancements in heartburn treatment on WGN-AM's "The Noon Show" on July 13. Click Here to listen to the interview.