But even outside of cancer, some conditions can quietly — but powerfully — erode the quality of life.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of them.

I’ve had countless conversations with patients who struggle with it — some who downplay the impact until it starts interrupting their sleep, their meals, and even their voices.

That’s why I paid attention when comedian Kenan Thompson opened up about his battle with GERD.

Kenan and SNL

For most of us, Kenan is known for his effortless humor and long-running role on Saturday Night Live.

But behind the scenes, he’s been wrestling with a chronic condition that doesn’t exactly pair well with live performance.

GERD, which occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows backward into the esophagus, has the power to sap your energy, inflame your throat, and leave you hoarse when your voice matters most.

He recently shared this:

“When it’s at its worst, it definitely can cause me to be hoarse a lot faster than I’d expect.”

He even uses singing to warm up before a show — his barometer of vocal health.

And when the reflux flares up, he knows he’s in trouble.

Kenan’s Story

Behind the scenes, the longtime SNL cast member quietly dealt with a health issue that was anything but funny.

For nearly two years, Thompson struggled with persistent symptoms that gradually took a toll on his voice, his sleep, and his well-being.

He shared his symptoms in a recent interview:

“I started noticing that I was losing my voice more quickly during the show. It was frustrating — I’d be hoarse faster than expected, and my nights were restless. I’d be burping up acid, hiccuping through the night.”

At first, he brushed it off.

A little discomfort here, a rough night there — it didn’t seem like something worth fussing over.

“I kept thinking, I’ll get through it. It’ll pass,” Thompson said. “But over time, it just kept adding up.”

Symptoms Worsened

He tried to manage the problem on his own.

Dietary tweaks, a few over-the-counter medications, temporary adjustments.

It helped — for a while.

Thompson admitted:

“Eventually, none of it worked anymore. That’s when I knew it was serious. But I still didn’t talk to anyone about it. I wasn’t embarrassed exactly — I just didn’t know if it was worth bringing to a doctor.”

It wasn’t until early last year, when the symptoms escalated, that he finally made an appointment.

The diagnosis?

GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease — a condition where stomach acid frequently flows backward into the esophagus, often causing heartburn, sore throats, and disrupted sleep.

For Thompson, the condition had slowly chipped away at his voice, energy, and peace of mind.

And like many people dealing with chronic reflux, he endured it quietly, not realizing just how much it was affecting him until it became impossible to ignore.

Why?

Pizza?

Check.

Sugar-sweetened soda?

Yep.

As his symptoms worsened early last year, he finally sought medical help.

Doctors diagnosed GERD, a common condition in which stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the esophagus, causing irritation and discomfort.

My Clinical Experience

I hear versions of this story all the time in the clinic.

GERD isn’t just heartburn.

It’s the acid that creeps in at night and steals your sleep.

It’s the chronic cough that won’t go away, the sore throat you didn’t see coming, the constant sensation that something’s stuck just behind your breastbone.

And it’s frustrating.

For Kenan, years of trying different treatments led only to temporary relief. “I just got tired of it,” he admitted.

Over-the-counter meds became a short-term bandage — never a real fix.

Lifestyle and GERD

Lifestyle modification is often a good starting point for dealing with GERD.

I often talk with my patients about non-pharmaceutical strategies that can make a real difference:

• Eating smaller meals
• Avoiding food right before bed,
• Elevating the head of the bed to keep acid from creeping upward at night
• Cutting back on trigger foods—think caffeine, alcohol, spicy dishes, and even chocolate.

For some, it’s also about managing stress.

And yes, for others, medications are still part of the equation.

But the first step is recognizing that GERD is more than just an occasional annoyance — it’s a condition that can wear you down, slowly and relentlessly.

Whether you’re a comedian relying on your voice or a patient trying to rest at night, it deserves attention and real solutions.

Kenan’s story isn’t just about reflux. It’s a reminder that health is no laughing matter — even for someone whose job is to make us smile.

Did you know that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects up to 30 percent of adults in Western populations and is increasing in prevalence?

GERD can cause pain and increase your risk of developing cancer of the lower esophagus, so if you have concerning symptoms, please see your primary care provider.

A Happy Ending

As for Kenan, after he started taking Voquezna, he felt immediate relief.

The comedian is now partnering with Voquenza’s GERD IS NO JOKE campaign to raise awareness about GERD. In the campaign, he acts as a chef on the “Kick Some Acid Cooking Show.”

And that pizza?

He doesn’t completely avoid his favorite foods, offering this observation:

“There’s balance in it all. I still eat pizza. I just don’t have the same kind of issues because I’m not overdoing it.”

The post Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson’s Health Wake-Up Call appeared first on Medika Life.

Are people with Barrett’s esophagus more likely to develop cancer?

People with Barrett’s esophagus are more likely to develop a rare type of cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in people with Barrett’s esophagus is about 0.5 percent per year. Typically, before this cancer develops, precancerous cells appear in the Barrett’s tissue. Doctors call this condition dysplasia and classify the dysplasia as low grade or high grade.

You may have Barrett’s esophagus for many years before cancer develops.

How common is Barrett’s esophagus?

Experts are not sure how common Barrett’s esophagus is. Researchers estimate that it affects 1.6 to 6.8 percent of people.

Who is more likely to develop Barrett’s esophagus?

Men develop Barrett’s esophagus twice as often as women, and Caucasian men develop this condition more often than men of other races. The average age at diagnosis is 55. Barrett’s esophagus is uncommon in children

What are the symptoms of Barrett’s esophagus?

While Barrett’s esophagus itself doesn’t cause symptoms, many people with Barrett’s esophagus have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which does cause symptoms.

What causes Barrett’s esophagus?

Experts don’t know the exact cause of Barrett’s esophagus. However, some factors can increase or decrease your chance of developing Barrett’s esophagus.

What factors increase a person’s chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus?

Having GERD increases your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus. GERD is a more serious, chronic form of gastroesophageal reflux, a condition in which stomach contents flow back up into your esophagus. Refluxed stomach acid that touches the lining of your esophagus can cause heartburn and damage the cells in your esophagus.

Between 10 and 15 percent of people with GERD develop Barrett’s esophagus.

Obesity—specifically high levels of belly fat—and smoking also increase your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus. Some studies suggest that your genetics, or inherited genes, may play a role in whether or not you develop Barrett’s esophagus.

What factors decrease a person’s chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus?

Having a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may decrease your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus. Doctors are not sure how H. pylori protects against Barrett’s esophagus. While the bacteria damage your stomach and the tissue in your duodenum, some researchers believe the bacteria make your stomach contents less damaging to your esophagus if you have GERD.

Researchers have found that other factors may decrease the chance of developing Barrett’s esophagus, including

• frequent use of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and certain vitamins

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose Barrett’s esophagus?

Doctors diagnose Barrett’s esophagus with an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and a biopsy. Doctors may diagnose Barrett’s esophagus while performing tests to find the cause of a patient’s gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms.

Medical history

Your doctor will ask you to provide your medical history. Your doctor may recommend testing if you have multiple factors that increase your chances of developing Barrett’s esophagus.

Upper GI endoscopy and biopsy

In an upper GI endoscopy, a gastroenterologist, surgeon, or other trained health care provider uses an endoscope to see inside your upper GI tract, most often while you receive light sedation. The doctor carefully feeds the endoscope down your esophagus and into your stomach and duodenum. The procedure may show changes in the lining of your esophagus.

The doctor performs a biopsy with the endoscope by taking a small piece of tissue from the lining of your esophagus. You won’t feel the biopsy. A pathologist examines the tissue in a lab to determine whether Barrett’s esophagus cells are present. A pathologist who has expertise in diagnosing Barrett’s esophagus may need to confirm the results.

Barrett’s esophagus can be difficult to diagnose because this condition does not affect all the tissue in your esophagus. The doctor takes biopsy samples from at least eight different areas of the lining of your esophagus.

Who should be screened for Barrett’s esophagus?

Your doctor may recommend screening for Barrett’s esophagus if you are a man with chronic—lasting more than 5 years—and/or frequent—happening weekly or more—symptoms of GERD and two or more risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus. These risk factors include

• being age 50 and older
• being Caucasian
• having high levels of belly fat
• being a smoker or having smoked in the past
• having a family history of Barrett’s esophagus or esophageal adenocarcinoma

Treatment

How do doctors treat Barrett’s esophagus?

Your doctor will talk about the best treatment options for you based on your overall health, whether you have dysplasia, and its severity. Treatment options include medicines for GERD, endoscopic ablative therapies, endoscopic mucosal resection, and surgery.

Periodic surveillance endoscopy

Your doctor may use upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with a biopsy periodically to watch for signs of cancer development. Doctors call this approach surveillance.

Experts aren’t sure how often doctors should perform surveillance endoscopies. Talk with your doctor about what level of surveillance is best for you. Your doctor may recommend endoscopies more frequently if you have high-grade dysplasia rather than low-grade or no dysplasia.

Medicines

If you have Barrett’s esophagus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), your doctor will treat you with acid-suppressing medicines called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These medicines can prevent further damage to your esophagus and, in some cases, heal existing damage.

PPIs include

• omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid)
• lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• pantoprazole (Protonix)
• rabeprazole (AcipHex)
• esomeprazole (Nexium)
• dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)

All of these medicines are available by prescription. Omeprazole and lansoprazole are also available in over-the-counter strength.

Your doctor may consider anti-reflux surgery if you have GERD symptoms and don’t respond to medicines. However, research has not shown that medicines or surgery for GERD and Barrett’s esophagus lower your chances of developing dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Endoscopic ablative therapies

Endoscopic ablative therapies use different techniques to destroy the dysplasia in your esophagus. After the therapies, your body should begin making normal esophageal cells.

A doctor, usually a gastroenterologist or surgeon, performs these procedures at certain hospitals and outpatient centers. You will receive local anesthesia and a sedative. The most common procedures are the following:

• Photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy uses a light-activated chemical called porfimer (Photofrin), an endoscope, and a laser to kill precancerous cells in your esophagus. A doctor injects porfimer into a vein in your arm, and you return 24 to 72 hours later to complete the procedure.

Complications of photodynamic therapy may include

• sensitivity of your skin and eyes to light for about 6 weeks after the procedure
• burns, swelling, pain, and scarring in nearby healthy tissue
• coughing, trouble swallowing, stomach pain, painful breathing, and shortness of breath.

• Radiofrequency ablation. Radiofrequency ablation uses radio waves to kill precancerous and cancerous cells in the Barrett’s tissue. An electrode mounted on a balloon or an endoscope creates heat to destroy the Barrett’s tissue and precancerous and cancerous cells.

Complications of radiation ablation may include

• chest pain
• cuts in the lining of your esophagus
• strictures

Clinical trials have shown that complications are less common with radiofrequency ablation compared with photodynamic therapy.

Endoscopic mucosal resection

In endoscopic mucosal resection, your doctor lifts the Barrett’s tissue, injects a solution underneath or applies suction to the tissue, and then cuts the tissue off. The doctor then removes the tissue with an endoscope. Gastroenterologists perform this procedure at certain hospitals and outpatient centers. You will receive local anesthesia to numb your throat and a sedative to help you relax and stay comfortable.

Before performing an endoscopic mucosal resection for cancer, your doctor will do an endoscopic ultrasound.

Complications can include bleeding or tearing of your esophagus. Doctors sometimes combine endoscopic mucosal resection with photodynamic therapy.

Surgery

Surgery called esophagectomy is an alternative to endoscopic therapies. Many doctors prefer endoscopic therapies because these procedures have fewer complications.

Esophagectomy is the surgical removal of the affected sections of your esophagus. After removing sections of your esophagus, a surgeon rebuilds your esophagus from part of your stomach or large intestine. The surgery is performed at a hospital. You’ll receive general anesthesia, and you’ll stay in the hospital for 7 to 14 days after the surgery to recover.

Surgery may not be an option if you have other medical problems. Your doctor may consider the less-invasive endoscopic treatments or continued frequent surveillance instead.

Eating, Diet, & Nutrition

How can your diet help prevent Barrett’s esophagus?

Researchers have not found that diet and nutrition play an important role in causing or preventing Barrett’s esophagus.​

If you have gastroesophageal reflux (GER) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you can prevent or relieve your symptoms by changing your diet. Dietary changes that can help reduce your symptoms include

• decreasing fatty foods
• eating small, frequent meals instead of three large meals

Avoid eating or drinking the fol​lowing items that may make GER or GERD worse:

• ​chocolate
• coffee
• peppermint
• greasy or spicy foods​
• tomatoes and tomato products
• alcoholic drinks

Clinical Trials

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support basic and clinical research into many digestive disorders.

What are clinical trials and are they right for you?

Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you

The post Barrett’s Esophagus. Symtoms, Diagnosis and Treatment appeared first on Medika Life.