Kim Kardashian has opened up about being single for five years after her divorce from Kanye WestCredit: GettyKim has been dating Lewis Hamilton since the beginning of 2026Credit: Getty
Kim, 45, said: “I was really single for five years. And that felt great. “I felt like I needed my time. I wanted to completely heal and just work on myself.
“I wasn’t ready to open up. I really wasn’t even thinking about it. The universe works in your favour when you just allow it to.”
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The mogul filed for divorce from Ye, 49, in February 2021 following a turbulent period driven by his erratic behavior and public breakdown.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the Skims founder admits she worries about exposing her four children with the rapper – North, 13, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 7 – to her stratospheric fame.
Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in 2021Credit: GettyKim has known Lewis for yearsCredit: InstagramKim and Lewis had a romantic break in Paris break to see Celine Dion recentlyCredit: InstagramKim has four children with her ex husband and talks about parenting in her interview with The Sunday TimesCredit: AFP
Describing herself as an “intermediate-strict parent,” Kim bans her kids from taking part in any storyline drama on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
She said: “I do worry about it. Each kid does what they’re comfortable with.
“So, my little ones come around when I’m filming but they don’t really do storylines.
“North loves it a little bit more than the rest. I hold her back. All she wants to do is forward-facing projects.
“And with her, since it’s more music-related, that is something that her dad and I have better communication about. We make sure that we’re aligned and that she’s in projects that we both approve.”
The cornerstone of Kim’s platform is her call for the state-run property disaster insurance program, which largely would be funded by policyholders. Coverage would be universal, with policyholders automatically enrolled. With no need to generate shareholder profits, fund marketing or pay high executive salaries, she contends the plan could better invest in fire prevention and make buildings and property more fire resilient. Such a drastic change in the insurance system would require legislation and support from the governor.
“Voters I’ve talked to don’t want to see the same old tinkering with the system, because most voters agree that it’s actually magical thinking that doing the same tinkering of the existing system is going to lead to a different result,” she said.
Allen is sharply critical of Kim’s plan, which he says is woefully short on details. Instead, he is focusing on the mechanics of improving the current system — for both homeowners and insurers. He wants to speed reviews of insurer rate applications, create a business office to attract more carriers to the state and work with elected officers at all levels to design programs that reduce fire risk of individual properties and at the neighborhood and community scale.
“I’m focused on what’s actually doable. The people who suffer from these terrible fires don’t need a 10-year experiment. Voters of all stripes, not just Republicans, are not interested in making the state a guinea pig,” he said.
Tom Kim topped the men’s leaderboard after the third round at the Asian Games as he seeks a gold medal that will significantly reduce the time he is required to spend in South Korea’s military.
Having started two shots off the lead, Kim hit a brilliant five-under 65 that included five birdies and an eagle, taking him a stroke clear at 12 under par with one round to play.
Able-bodied South Korean males are usually required to undertake between 18 and 21 months of military service before the age of 28.
However the government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any colour with a service exemption bar basic training, which lasts less than a month.
Athletes who have previously secured the exemption include former Tottenham footballer Son Heung-min, who served for only three weeks in 2020 having won the Asian Games two years earlier.
Kim hurried from the Presidents Cup in the United States to tee off at the Kasugai Country Club in Japan, having to manage on just six hours of sleep and a 14-hour time difference.
The 24-year-old previously came close to securing an exemption at the Paris Olympics in 2024, finishing day one tied for third before ultimately finishing eighth.
Having looked visibly emotional after that result, Kim is now chasing another chance to stop military service stalling his promising career, which has already featured an Asian Tour order of merit crown and four PGA Tour titles.
The world number 32’s lead would have been larger had he not missed birdie putts on the 14th and 18th holes, but he stands clear of Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan, who had led overnight, and Japan’s Kazuki Higa going into day four.
The men’s team event title offers another route for military exemption, with South Korea also topping the men’s leaderboard by one stroke.
Gold in that event will exempt Tom Kim and SH Kim, 28, regardless of the individual result, but it would come too late for the third team member, Mun Do-yeob, who has already served.
“I think about it. It’s so tough,” SH Kim said of the possibility of military service.
“I am 100% nervous, for sure. It’s a lot of pressure. I could stay on the PGA Tour (with a gold). That’s my goal.”
Last year, Kim was one of the sponsors of the Community Investment and Prosperity Act, a proposed law that later was encompassed in another piece of legislation that expanded banks’ ability to invest in communities in a way that promotes economic development and the public good. The law allows national and state member banks to invest up to 20% of their capital and surplus in affordable housing, small business lending and community revitalization.
“Families across California have felt the effects of rising costs for years. From delivering meaningful tax relief to supporting commonsense housing and energy reforms, I remain committed to fighting for opportunity and economic security that put Californians first,” Kim said in a press release issued by Americans for Prosperity in May.
Calvert sees affordability as the biggest challenge facing families and blames Sacramento for the rising costs and “driving businesses out of the state.” He points to his vote in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which maintained many of the tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and raised the State And Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap.
“My priority is fighting to lower everyday costs, help families keep more of what they earn and supporting policies that fuel economic growth, which in turn provides higher wages and more opportunities for California families and workers,” he said.
US president’s comments came after he was asked why North Korea can have nuclear weapons when Iran cannot.
Published On 30 Sep 202630 Sep 2026
United States President Donald Trump has described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “a friend” and played down concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal, saying, “as long as I’m around, he’s going to be fine”.
Trump made the remarks in Washington, DC, on Tuesday after a reporter asked him why North Korea could have nuclear weapons but Iran could not.
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“That’s interesting. You know why? Because you had a different president, and they could have stopped him,” he said, referring to previous US administrations.
“He happens to be a friend of mine, Kim Jong Un, he’s a friend of mine. He likes Trump, doesn’t like a lot of other people. I’m about the only person in the entire world that he likes, and I like him,” he said.
He said North Korea’s nuclear capacity was “pretty large” but “not like us”.
“You know what, as long as I’m around, he’s going to be fine,” he added. “You know why? Because he respects me and he likes me.”
South Korea’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said last week that its northern neighbour possessed between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads. The figure is significantly higher than Trump’s recent assertion that Pyongyang has 57 nuclear weapons.
Trump is seeking to re-engage with Kim and secure a win on the international stage as the US and Israel’s war on Iran enters its eighth month.
The US president launched the war along with Israel on February 28, saying Iran could not have a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied seeking a weapon, noting it had signed an agreement with world powers in 2015 that curbed its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018.
The US-Israel war on Iran has disrupted global energy supplies, raised fuel costs and hurt Trump’s popularity ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump held summits with North Korea’s Kim in 2018 and 2019, but diplomacy broke down over US demands that Pyongyang give up its nuclear weapons. Since then, Kim has expanded his arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles and strengthened his diplomatic footprint by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China.
Trump had earlier said he planned to hold in-person talks with Kim before the end of the year.
Kim also wore a sexy black dress on the getawayCredit: UnknownFans adore the couple’s loveCredit: UnknownThey also enjoyed a candle-lit dinnerCredit: UnknownA Celine Dion night rounded the trip offCredit: Unknown
The couple also appeared to enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner for two as well as a Celine Dion show.
Fans gushed all about the couple in the post’s comments section, with one saying: “Please get married I love this for you.”
A second shared: “So happy for yall.”
A third added: “My favourite couple Kimilton.”
The cute carousel comes shortly after Kim revealed that she sweetly calls her man “Mr. Bridgerton“.
In a clip circulating online Kim can be seen inspecting a range of Bridgerton-themed body wash when she makes a saucy comment.
She said: “Bridgerton! I have my own Mr Bridgerton. Speak for yourself.”
The comment sent social media into meltdown with one X user writing: “Kim calling Lewis her Mr. Bridgerton is peak crossover energy — he really does have the royal aura for it.”
Another added: “‘I have my own Mr. Bridgerton’ oh she is DOWN bad for that man.”
I CRASHED Kim Kardashian’s ultra-exclusive VIP launch of her London Skims store in a £35.99 knock-off jumpsuit – and ended up sipping dirty martinis with the A-list.
Arriving at the top-secret Regent Street bash in the pouring rain after a long day at work, I was armed with nothing but a mission and the confidence to somehow convince everyone I was wearing Kim’s Skims brand.
The Sun’s Freya Fraser gets her sneaky selfie at the star’s exclusive bashCredit: SuppliedKim arrives before The Sun’s Freya gets in tooCredit: Dave Benett
Amazingly, it worked.
In fact, I’d bought my entire outfit, a £35.99 Bershka gym jumpsuit, on the way there — and everyone believed it was one of Kim’s £116 creations.
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And, after a humbling 30 minutes in the rain, I blagged my way inside at 7.40pm on Friday.
A couple of months ago I trekked down to an MPS Body and Paint car garage in Kent to recreate Kim’s Met Gala outfit.
Now I’d gone one step further and found myself inside her crazy world — with the crowds parting like the Red Sea as the 5ft 2in brunette bombshell stepped inside.
Security assumed I had been there from the start and began backing everyone else up behind me.
Before I knew it, I was apparently first in line for a selfie with Kim — and I certainly wasn’t about to correct them.
Kim, 45, looked incredible in a custom leather Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown and, despite my unconvincing Skims impersonation, told me: “It’s lovely to meet you, you look amazing.”
Freya in a £35.99 Bershka jumpsuitCredit: SuppliedSkims Capri jumpsuit £116Credit: SKIMS
Sadly, I later heard her parrot that to every other person she met in the plush new shop, so alas the compliment wasn’t just rolled out for me.
Famed for her selfie taking, and as one of the most photographed women in the world, it came as little surprise that Kim takes this very seriously.
And as I stepped forward for my snap, I was almost blinded as one of her assistants suddenly held up a huge dazzling torch over our faces.
But after a day at work and a trek through the rain, I have never been more grateful for good lighting.
Kim had three outfit changes throughout the night and I’d already experienced one of them from the front row.
Earlier, I found myself at the front of a queue for the loo when Kim was suddenly escorted ahead of everyone.
In what felt like the longest wardrobe change in history, at least ten people were left waiting cross-legged before she eventually emerged in the same dress.
Kim later fully committed to the change and slipped into a brown leather corset and a floor-length skirt.
Kim shows off one of the three outfits she wore on the nightCredit: Dave BenettFreya and Kim at the partyCredit: Supplied
Her third and final look of the night was a tight-fitting, nude two-piece which drew gasps of appreciation from the seven people glued to her side at all times.
As well as two burly security guards — and her lighting flunky of course — she spent the evening with Ludovic, the man who had designed her gown, Tracy Romulus Nguyen — chief communications officer of Skims — and two other assistants who were on hand to bat away anyone trying to get more than Kim’s pre-planned compliment out of her mouth.
Three immaculate bars were dotted around the store, serving gorgeous cocktails in translucent and nude shades to match Kim’s three looks.
Staff floated around with the prettiest — and tiniest — canapes I’d ever seen, from tuna tartare to miniature potatoes smothered in caviar.
I feared I’d be starving by the end of the night, but thankfully the microscopic morsels of food were eventually replaced with much more substantial burgers and fries.
I also made good use of the bar, sipping dirty martinis with celebs including Emma Grede, Rochelle Humes, Love Island’s Lorenzo Alessi and rapper Central Cee.
Kim’s famous hairdresser and current Strictly contestant Chris Appleton was also never far from her side, checking up on her hair throughout the evening and constantly patting down stray flyaways.
Just under two hours later, Kim was whisked away to an afterparty, held in lavish private members. club Maison Estelle. She used a secret lift to escape the 200 fans who had gathered outside.
My exit was a little more down to earth and, naturally, I got my hands on two Skims goody bags before jumping on the Northern Line home.
Inside one of them was an unreleased branded tracksuit worth £220, which some cheeky party-goers have since put on eBay for almost double the price.
Given how much of an upgrade it was from my Bershka number, I’ll be holding onto mine.
WASHINGTON — As President Trump tells supporters to vote in November as if he were on the ballot, California Republicans in tight congressional races are sending a different message to voters.
The four California Republicans running in the state’s most competitive U.S. House races, plus a fifth opposing a fellow Republican in a close contest, are appearing to keep some distance from Trump as they campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
They all skipped the president’s midterm convention in Dallas this month. Two candidates in tough races removed references to Trump on their campaign websites. And most are favoring a heavy focus on local and state issues in their campaigns — a contrast to Trump’s approach, driven home in Dallas, of casting the election as a loyalty exercise.
President Trump watches as balloons fall at the Republican convention.
(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
“You’ve got to do me the biggest favor you’ve ever done me. You’ve got to do this for me: You have to pretend I am on the ticket,” Trump told a crowd at the GOP midterm convention. “Pretend I am on the ticket because this is going to turn out to be one of the most important elections.”
The dynamic within the GOP reflects several competing factors: the need to attract new voters in districts made more purple by California’s redistricting, the hope that Trump can rally the base while candidates focus on swing voters, and the fear among Republicans that the president’s flagging approval ratings could cost them crucial seats in the midterms.
“There is a bit of jujitsu to it,” said Rob Stutzman, a longtime California Republican consultant. “These candidates are hoping that Trump motivates these voters to vote … [while they] focus on gaining votes, particularly from independents who don’t like the president right now.”
The state’s redistricting under Proposition 50, which redrew the congressional map to be more favorable to Democrats, also handed Republican candidates the necessity of persuading more unaffiliated voters and moderate Democrats — likely a major factor in their stances toward the White House, said Pete Peterson, dean of the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy.
“To the degree that Republican candidates are distancing themselves, they’re understanding that they’re actually appealing to newer electorates,” Peterson said. “[The districts] have been made more moderate, more purple, and candidates may be responding accordingly as a way of trying to attract those voters.”
Facing headwinds
The party in power typically faces an uphill battle in midterm elections, and vulnerable candidates often distance themselves from the sitting president. As Republicans fight to keep control of the House and Senate in November, however, they are dealing with particularly serious challenges stemming from Trump’s low favorability rating and public frustration with the economy, the war in Iran and the escalating trade war with Canada.
Trump largely has dismissed concerns about the economy and the war, even as polling shows both are weighing heavily on voters. He also has exacerbated challenges for his party amid the growing public backlash to data centers and artificial intelligence, doubling down on his support for AI advancement in recent days even as GOP candidates in tight races look to respond to constituents’ concerns.
He also drew criticism from some within his party after promising to give a $5,000 payment to every adult citizen if Republicans win the House and Senate in November, a legally murky idea.
Still, Trump has urged Republican lawmakers in tough reelection campaigns to run on his record and earlier this month vowed to spend the last month before the election stumping for candidates in 35 battleground races, including in Alaska and Texas. He has not yet mentioned plans for California.
“All you have to do is talk about it, and you’re going to win and you’re going to win big,” Trump said of his record.
Candidates nationwide seem unconvinced. A Washington Post analysis found that Republican politicians have stopped mentioning Trump on social media, doing so about half as often as they did in January. Many in competitive races skipped his convention, and in recent weeks some have broken with him on data centers and the payout pitch.
In California, the headwinds for the GOP were captured in a survey released last week: A greater share of independents said they would vote for the Democratic candidate over the Republican in their House districts, the Public Policy Institute of California found, and a majority of likely voters polled Sept. 4-10 said they would choose the Democratic candidate if the election were held now.
Robert Rivera, left, of San José and Corky Galey of Modesto listen to gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton during a town hall in Modesto on Aug. 26.
(Sara Nevis/For The Times)
Last week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton’s campaign blasted a fundraising text to voters that began: “We get it. Maybe you don’t like Trump. Maybe you can’t stand MAGA.”
Democrats have seized on the dynamic.
“California Republicans know their loyalty to a toxic MAGA brand is a losing strategy,” said Anna Elsasser, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Unlucky for them, no desperate rebrand can save them from their clear record of broken promises — from raising costs, to ripping away health care, to supporting another forever war everyone hates.”
Leaning on the local
Rep. Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills) stripped her campaign website of the “America first” branding and references to Trump that defined it before the primary.
(Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call via Associated Press)
In Orange County, Rep. Young Kim — in a close contest with fellow Republican Ken Calvert — has stripped her campaign website of the “America first” branding and references to Trump that defined it before the primary. And in Northern California, Rep. James Gallagher has scrubbed Trump’s endorsement from his campaign website, which months ago prominently featured his close ties to the president.
Other candidates in tight races — Rep. David Valadao, running for reelection in the Central Valley; Kevin Lincoln, challenging Democratic Rep. Adam Gray; and Jim Desmond, running to fill the seat of retiring Republican Rep. Darrell Issa — have leaned on campaign optics centered around their regions rather than on sharply partisan politics.
None of the three attended Trump’s convention. Valadao rarely mentions Trump on social media and is the last House Republican still running who voted for Trump’s second impeachment. Desmond does not mention his support from Trump on his endorsements web page; Lincoln does.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the Republican Party this year after his district was redrawn and after he clashed with Trump over tariffs, also is making an appeal to middle-of-the-road voters, promoting legislation around AI safeguards while taking aim at Sacramento policies. Kiley still caucuses with congressional Republicans but says he won’t if reelected.
Representatives for Gallagher, Lincoln, Desmond and Valadao did not respond to requests for comment.
Chris Pack, a spokesperson for Kim, said she was “proud of her work with President Trump to deliver results for Southern California.” But he framed her race as a choice between Kim and her opponent, saying the campaign’s messaging is focused on Calvert’s record. Pack didn’t answer a question about the removal of Trump’s name from Kim’s website.
Moves like Kim’s and Gallagher’s are angled at conveying to moderate voters that “they’re not going to be beholden to the party line, they’re simply going to run on common sense,” and may give centrist Democratic voters “permission” to consider the candidates, said one GOP operative who works in the state, granted anonymity in order to speak candidly.
In competitive districts like the ones California Republicans are trying to hold on to, Trump’s ask for voters to pretend he’s on the ballot is “probably not as helpful,” the operative said.
Instead, strategists see the local focus as the most effective strategy for California Republicans, along with a focus on statewide issues that allow them to counter policies of Gov. Gavin Newsom that they perceive as unpopular with voters.
“California Republicans know what’s best for their districts,” the operative said. “They all have their own independent records and are pretty well-known by their communities.”
Republicans are making the case that California’s long-term affordability issues, which far predate the current national economic landscape, have been exacerbated and mishandled by Democrats. The party also is leaning on an argument that Democrats are overly focused on Trump and have few substantive policy solutions.
Texas attendees hold up flags and cowboys hats at the Republican convention.
(Smiley N. Pool / Dallas Morning News via Getty Images)
Mike Madrid, a veteran California Republican political consultant, argued that a last-minute rebrand is unlikely to stick for candidates whose party has built a political identity around loyalty to the president and his policies. He said Republicans’ retreat is a sign of how Trump’s popularity is dwindling.
“I wouldn’t call that subtle in politics,” he said. “When you’re distancing yourself from the president of your own party, a man that everybody’s been championing as a political and cultural hero in those parts, I don’t think that’s subtle at all.”
When asked to make his case to midterm voters in an interview last week, Vice President JD Vance argued that Americans should give his party more time to deliver.
“Give us another chance,” Vance said on the All-In Podcast. “Give us another couple of years to continue to work on the amazing things that we have been doing for the past two years.”
KIM Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton swapped luxury cars for humble Lime bikes as they enjoyed a casual day out in London.
The couple, who are estimated to be worth a combined $2.5bn, looked happy to keep it low-key as they pedalled around the capital.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton were pictured riding Lime bikes in LondonCredit: GoffIt’s a slower turn of pace than F1 star Lewis is used toCredit: Goff
Lewis, 41, might have swapped Ferrari red for lime green but he still set the pace and maintained his eye for fashion in a leopard print jacket.
While glam Kim, 45, who owns the leisurewear brand SKIMS, kept it simple in a white vest top and black leggings.
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He might be a seven-time F1 world champ on four wheels, but Lewis was in no rush and swapped smiles with Kim as they cruised along.
The duo were joined by a minder who hung back and let the couple soak up the sights uninterrupted.
The couple traded smiles as they biked side by sideCredit: GoffLewis led the way, more familiar with the London streetsCredit: GoffThey dismounted and pushed the bikes through a parkCredit: GoffKim looked confident on two wheels after a night out celebrating her SKIMS brandCredit: Goff
The reality star and businesswoman was in her element waving to fans and taking pictures, before having a costume change and heading to exclusive members club Maison Estelle for the afterparty.
It followed a shock diagnosis Kim received in the latest episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
Viewers watched her learn she has esophagitis, which is a condition characterised by the inflammation of the lining of the oesophagus, and is the same condition that led to her father’s death.
Robert, a top lawyer who represented O.J. Simpson, died from esophageal cancer in 2003 at the age of 59.
The revelation about her health made both Kim and her mum, Kris, tearful.
Lewis is more used to the famous Ferrari redCredit: GoffThe superstar couple have an eye-watering combined wealthCredit: Goff
Kim Kardashian attended a SKIMS event on Regent Street last nightCredit: GettyThe US reality star was seen putting on a daring display in a leather corsetCredit: Splash
The 45-year-old was seen beaming and waving to fans as she posed up outside the bustling shop.
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Her plunging dress was embroidered with silver sequins, which showed off her curve appeal.
Later on, Kim was snapped in another incredible ensemble as she made her entrance at the SKIMS afterparty, which was held in lavish private members club Maison Estelle.
Later on, Kim put on a sexy display as she left the venue in her third and final dress of the night.
The model and actress donned a tight-fitting nude two-piece, which showed off her rock hard abs.
Kim Kardashian left private members club Maison Estelle in a nude two-pieceCredit: SplashThe 45-year-old flaunted her famous Kardashian curvesCredit: Splash
Kim was this week awarded a symbolic one euro in compensation after she was robbed at gunpoint at a Paris hotel in 2016.
The award is reported to match what she asked for.
Kim and stylist Simone Harouche, also present during the robbery, said they “hope to now move forward”.
The reality star and fashion mogul reveals in the reality series’ Season 8 trailer released Thursday that she has been diagnosed with esophagitis.
“I have something called esophagitism,” Kim tells a stylist in the trailer. The Skims founder is then shown in a hospital bed in a series of clips, one in which it appears she’s being wheeled into a procedure. While it’s unclear who is speaking to Kim, someone off-screen says, “Didn’t your father … isn’t it what he died of?”
If esophagitis is left untreated, there’s a risk of developing Barrett‘s esophagus condition, in which the cells lining the esophagus are damaged from acid reflux, according to Mayo Clinic. The condition raises the risk of cancer that starts in the esophagus, which is called esophageal cancer.
Kim’s dad, famed attorney Robert Kardashian, died in September 2003 at the age of 59. He had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer just months before his death.
“I can’t, it makes me want to cry,” Kim’s mom Kris Jenner says in the trailer, alluding to the frightening diagnosis.
Esophagitis is inflammation of the tissues that line the esophagus, per the Mayo Clinic. The condition can be painful and make swallowing difficult, and it can cause chest pain. While there are a variety of causes for the condition, the trailer does not reveal which has contributed to Kim’s case.
Kim Kardashian in “The Kardashians” in 2022.
(Photo from Hulu)
Treatment for the health issue can vary and depends upon the severity of tissue damage and the cause. Without proper treatment, the lining of the esophagus, which is the tube that carries food and water to your stomach, can be badly damaged. This can lead to more serious health issues including scarring and narrowing of the esophagus, or even tearing in the esophagus.
When detected early, however, the condition is considered treatable.