The association between GERD patients’ knowledge and development of complications in Makkah

Abstract

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common upper gastrointestinal condition. GERD patients report heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, dysphasia, globus sensation and other symptoms and complications that influence their quality of life. We aimed to determine how patient awareness of disease aggravation affects GERD patients' quality of life in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Makkah 1197 participants completed the online questionnaire, 218 of whom had GERD and met the inclusion criteria for age, gender and ethnicity. Psychiatric patients, pregnant women, cardiovascular patients (angina, myocardial infarction) and asthmatics were excluded. Results: There were significant differences in knowledge scores based on occupational status (p<0.001). There was a significant difference among different levels of education with p = 0.00. The most common symptoms included a burning sensation followed by pain, nausea and regurgitation. The most frequently reported complications were gastric pain and dyspnea. Conclusion: Although GERD is a common disorder worldwide, our results showed less knowledge about GERD complications among those diagnosed with the disease. Awareness of complications is important for decreasing incidences and improving quality of life.