Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably at least heard of the Pokémon Go craze that is sweeping the nation. So I thought we’d spice up the topic of acid reflux (see what I did there?) by looking at some Pokémon who appear to be suffering some of the many symptoms of acid reflux.
Charizard
Ok, this one is pretty self-explanatory. He’s a dragon, and he’s literally breathing fire! Takes the term “heartburn”, one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux, to a whole new level. This Pokémon is going to need more than few antacids to put out that fire.
Gloom
Another uncomfortable symptom of acid reflux is regurgitation, “a sour or bitter tasting acid backing up into your throat or mouth.” Poor Gloom looks like he has it bad!
Poliwhirl
See that swirling maelstrom in this Pokémon’s gut? He looks like he may be experiencing dyspepsia, an unpleasant symptom of acid reflux that includes belly pain, bloating, and nausea.
Magmar
So I’m pretty sure this Pokémon is a male (don’t ask me why, just gut intuition I suppose), but it was the closest one I could find that looks like it might be pregnant, so bear with me. I wanted to illustrate the fact that acid reflux is very common during pregnancy, in fact more than half of pregnant women experience acid reflux. Yeah, you’d look grumpy too!
Snorlax
One of the common risk factors for acid reflux is being overweight or obese…but the extra padding makes him so cute and cuddly! Unfortunately, if you suffer from acid reflux, you may find yourself wanting to sleep sitting up, just like this guy.
All joking aside, acid reflux is something that affects over 60% of the American population on a monthly basis, and over 20% of the American population weekly. The symptoms and risk factors these Pokemon exhibit are representative of the struggles many Americans with reflux face on a daily basis, and definitely merit awareness. If you’ve been suffering from acid reflux on a regular basis, it may be time to talk to a specialist. There are several treatment options for acid reflux, many of them as simple as lifestyle changes, so don’t let something as simple as reflux take over your life.
Written by: Margaret Durkovic