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Health is no laughing matter, even for "Saturday Night Live" star Kenan Thompson. While some use moments from life to fuel their art, for the live entertainer, intense pain from gastroesophageal reflux disease holds the potential to derail his performance.“When it’s at its worst, it definitely can cause me to be hoarse a lot faster than I’d expect,�� he told Prevention. “I sing to warm up for SNL so I can always gauge where my throat health is.�� As an active comedian, sleepless nights due to GERD symptoms can lead to a fumble on stage. “It’s usually because I’ve had sleepless nights ... or overly stressing,�� he said. GERD occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, known as acid reflux, continuously over time, per Mayo Clinic. This can irritate the esophagus and cause painful symptoms like heartburn that may be worse when lying down, food backwash, upper stomach or chest pain, trouble swallowing and the feeling of a lump in the throat. If you experience GERD at night, you may have a chronic cough, inflamed vocal cords (laryngitis) and new or worsening asthma. Thompson spent years trying a variety of treatments, but the “really painful�� discomfort persisted. And at some point, over-the-counter medications stopped helping. “It would be like a quick fix, not necessarily a long fix. I just got tired of it,�� he said.“Thank God I was able to find an actual medicine that really works,�� he said of Phathom Pharmaceuticals�� Voquezna, which he is partnering with for its "GERD Is No Joke" campaign to raise awareness. Thompson embarked on a health journey last summer, adjusting what he eats and his workout routine to feel his best and, hopefully, mitigate his discomfort. When he is staying on top of his diet, exercising and taking his medication, he said it shows. “I have high-energy characters, so I can always tell when I’m being affected by it and when I’m not.”As for what triggers Thompson’s GERD symptoms, he says spicier marinara and soda play a role. “I was a soda kid; I used to drink a lot of sodas,�� he said. But he doesn’t forego his favorite foods altogether. “There’s balance in it all. I still eat pizza, I just don’t have the same kind of issues because I’m not overdoing it.”He’s also heading to the gym four days a week and biking on weekends. “The lifestyle of it all definitely affects it,�� he said of his GERD symptoms. “I’m almost a year into , and it feels really good.�� After an active evening performing on stage (and on your TV screen), he hits the pavement mere hours later with his bike to “cycle on Sundays.�� He says that he is up to biking about 40 miles in one go. “I grew up riding my bike. So, it reminds me of being young.”Overall, the star has been focusing on ways to feel his best. “I feel more energized and thankful to have gotten to the other side of my acid reflux journey, because it was a journey.��