Jim Palmer is known for a lot of things. He is a Hall of Fame pitcher and a sportscaster. He is an author. He has been a spokesman for Jockey underwear and the Money Store. He serves as a chairman for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and speaks out about arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
But Palmer now wants to be known for something else: chronic heartburn.
Palmer was in Salt Lake City this week promoting a new public awareness campaign about gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. "Two Strikes and You're . . . In the Doctor's Office" is meant to inform people about the seriousness of GERD, which Palmer suffered from for more than 10 years without knowing it.
"I just always thought it was part of my lifestyle," Palmer said. "It sounds ironic, but the lifestyle of being (an athlete) is not always conducive to being as healthy as you can be."
When he was playing with the Baltimore Orioles, Palmer said he often ate dinner late at night, just before going to bed. He thought the heartburn was simply a result of his eating habits.
Dr. John Fang, of the University of Utah's Division of Gastroenterology, said nearly 40 percent of Americans suffer from some type of reflux, while 10 percent have regular attacks without even knowing it.
Fang said the cardinal two symptoms of GERD are classic heartburn, a burning sensation behind the breastbone, and regurgitation, a feeling of fluid coming back up the esophagus. Other symptoms include asthma, chronic cough and chronic hoarseness. Anyone suffering from these symptoms should see their physician, Fang said.
Palmer visited a doctor in 1990 when he began having frequent problems with his voice. He was working as a broadcaster at the time and at first thought he was simply overusing his voice. Palmer's doctor diagnosed him as having irritated vocal chords. But at the tail end of a 1995 book tour Palmer was unable to talk at all. He visited the same doctor, who diagnosed him with GERD.
Palmer began taking the prescription medicine Prilosec, which Fang said is the strongest prescription acid blocker available. Other treatments for GERD include over-the-counter antacids such as Maalox, Mylanta, Xantac or Tagamet for mild cases, or prescription-strength Xantac or Tagamet for severe cases.
Dr. Steve Porter, a gastroenterologist in the Ogden Clinic, said people with GERD can also make certain lifestyle changes. They should not smoke, and should cut back on caffeine and chocolate. Porter also said that GERD is a gravity problem, and most of the damage to the esophagus happens at night when sufferers are lying down. To ease this, Porter said, patients should eat smaller meals with less fat content at bedtime.
Fang said while the number of people suffering from GERD is not increasing, awareness of the disease is.
Porter agreed. "I think it's more people are paying attention to it. Because of awareness campaigns like this, people are beginning to seek medical attention."
What is increasing, though, are the more serious afflictions associated with GERD. If left untreated, it can turn into erosive esophagitis or esophageal cancer, the most rapidly rising cancer in the United States and Western Europe.
Palmer has been involved in community projects since his first days in Baltimore. Baseball teams have so many players that can do so much good with their high visibility, he said.
"In the same amount of time it takes to be rude, you can be nice," Palmer said, adding that it can be something as simple as taking the time to sign an autograph.
Palmer's goal for this public awareness campaign is to teach people that "chronic heartburn is not something that's normal" and encourage anyone suffering to visit their doctor.
For more information about GERD, call 1-800-213-1166 or log on to www.purplepill.com.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com