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Kenan Thompson Reveals New Health Diagnosis, Recalls ‘Suffering in Silence’ as Symptoms ‘Piled Up’

Kenan Thompson, the 46-year-old longtime 'Saturday Night Live' star, opened up exclusively to PEOPLE about being diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease — commonly known as GERD — and how it disrupted his everyday life.

Kenan Thompson spent months suffering in silence with symptoms of heartburn that disrupted his everyday life The actor and comedian revealed exclusively to PEOPLE that he was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease — commonly known as GERD He’s sharing his story in hopes of encouraging others to feel more comfortable speaking to their doctors and getting proper help Shortly after his diagnosis, the actor’s doctor introduced and prescribed him with Voquezna, a potassium competitive acid blocker and the first and only FDA-approved treatment of its kind to manage the chronic condition. For the campaign, Thompson is doing what he does best and using humor to shed light on the important health issue, portraying a chef in a “Kick Some Acid Cooking Show,” a nod to how the treatment has given him relief.

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