National Heartburn Alliance Sponsors First Heartburn Awareness Month in November

CHICAGO –- Heartburn remains a burning problem for more than 60 million Americans each month, and this November, the National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA) is recognizing the need for heartburn education by sponsoring the first-ever Heartburn Awareness Month.

The goal of Heartburn Awareness Month is to screen, educate and treat heartburn sufferers. The NHBA encourages healthcare providers to keep heartburn top of mind this November by obtaining free heartburn screener forms and in-office posters at the NHBA’s Heartburn Awareness Month Web site at www.heartburnmonth.org.

Additionally, now is a good time for professionals to order and distribute free educational brochures for patients. NHBA encourages all heartburn sufferers to proactively visit their healthcare providers during the month of November, to receive information about heartburn so they can eliminate symptoms when they are more likely to indulge in holiday meals and spirits. Sufferers can also learn about lifestyle changes to eliminate symptoms and order free educational brochures by visiting the Heartburn Awareness Month Web site at www.heartburnmonth.org.

"Many people don’t know that the foods and drinks they enjoy around the holidays may contribute to heartburn symptoms," says Jan Engle, PharmD, of the University of Chicago at Illinois and NHBA vice chair. "Heartburn Awareness Month this November will raise awareness about these triggers so that sufferers can find the appropriate treatment options and enjoy their holidays."

Recent survey results show that 66 percent of people experience heartburn symptoms during the holiday season. Additionally, an overwhelming 94 percent of people said they would enjoy the holidays more if they didn’t have to worry about heartburn.

"November is a perfect time for heartburn sufferers and healthcare professionals to address heartburn, because more people tend to indulge in holiday meals," says Pat Baird, registered dietician and NHBA board member. "Learning about simple lifestyle changes people can make to alleviate symptoms may allow sufferers to continue eating the foods they love during the holiday season."

Additional Survey Results
Ninety-four percent of adults surveyed believed that overeating is the cause of holiday heartburn; 18 percent of those surveyed blamed eating at abnormal hours, and 16 percent believe stress is the main factor or holiday heartburn.

Fifty-five percent of survey respondents believe that eating highly acidic foods during the holidays is the reason they suffer from heartburn, followed by eating fatty meats (20 percent) and drinking alcohol (11 percent).

To order free informational brochures about heartburn, log on to www.heartburnalliance.org or call 1-877-NHBA-INFO (1-877-642-2463.

About the National Heartburn Alliance
The National Heartburn Alliance is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of heartburn sufferers through education, information and support. Nationally recognized healthcare professionals, including experts in digestive disease, pharmacy, nutrition and nursing, comprise the alliance. The NHBA receives support and sponsorship from the P&G Health Sciences Institute.

Synovate Inc.’s online Global Opinion Panel was used as the sample source for this study. This is a national household database consisting of over 1.4 million households that have agreed to participate in survey research. The study included 1,000 representative interviews among adults age 18 to 65, and is balanced to be representative of the general population based upon region, gender, age and household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The selected individuals receive a customized e-mail inviting them to participate in the survey. The survey consists of a shared set of standard demographic questions.

Source: National Heartburn Alliance

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