A doctor at Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City examines and advises a patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease. — Photo courtesy of the hospital

HCM CITY — HCM City-based Bình Dân Hospital is offering free gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) examinations and consultations for people aged 16 and above from 7am to 11:30am every Saturday until the end of the year.

The offer began on May 27 at the hospital at No. 326 Điện Biên Phủ Street in District 10.

It aims to help patients with GERD be diagnosed early and treated in a timely manner, according to a recent announcement from the hospital.

The participants will receive an in-depth examination by gastroenterologists at the hospital to discover the physical causes (if any) and factors affecting their health.

Then they will get medical advice from doctors about living and eating to control the disease and treatment instructions.

In particular, the hospital doctors will consult with a professor of gastroenterology from the US-based University of California, Irvine, to have an effective treatment plan for patients.

Test subjects are those who have been diagnosed with GERD, or have common symptoms such as heartburn, acid reflux, chest or epigastric pain, and trouble swallowing.

They must call the hospital hotline 19007123 for registration.

GERD is a condition in which changes in the gastroesophageal valve prevent it from closing, allowing stomach juices, including acid and bile, to back up into the esophagus.

The disease is common globally. It occurs in about 20 per cent of American adults, according to a 2022 study.

According to the Việt Nam Internal Medicine Association, about seven million Vietnamese people had gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2022, of which about 60 per cent were not treated promptly, leading to complications such as esophageal stricture and esophageal cancer.

GERD tends to occur in people with obesity, chronic stress, peptic ulcers, unhealthy eating habits, and the use of some medications.

People with GERD can suffer from the symptoms of the disease for life if left untreated.

The disease also causes many discomforts for patients such as sore throat, heartburn, bad breath, persistent cough, breathing difficulty and chest tightness.

However, the above symptoms often overlap in many other diseases of the digestive tract, ear, nose and throat. — VNS