As many as one in five Americans suffer with some sort of digestive disorder, causing uncomfortable and serious symptoms.
- Digestive disorders affect about 60 to 70 million Americans and cost nearly $98 billion in direct medical expenses.
- Women are more likely than men to have certain digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome and gallstones. Other digestive problems affect men and women equally but can cause unique problems in women, such as irregular menstruation, miscarriage or infertility.
- Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, affects about 20 percent of adults. Left untreated, GERD can raise your risk of esophageal cancer.
- Much rarer ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease affect just 1.4 million Americans, but these conditions are particularly serious and may eventually require surgery.
