Esophagitis is inflammation onlayer esophagus. The esophagus or esophagus is a tube-shaped organ that carries food from the mouth to the mouth stomach. Esophagitis can cause taste sickand todifficulta moment swallowing, and chest pain.
The duration of healing of esophagitis depends on the cause and the patient's immune system. Patients with esophagitis with a good immune system can recover after undergoing treatment for 2-4 weeks.
If left untreated, esophagitis can damage the esophageal tissue, causing injury or narrowing of the esophagus. Esophagitis can also cause disease Barrett's esophagus, which will increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Symptoms of Esophagitis
Symptoms experienced by people with esophagitis are:
- Pain when swallowing
- Difficult to swallow
- Pain in the chest (usually felt behind the breastbone when eating)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heartburn
- Stomach acid is felt to go up into the esophagus or into the mouth (regurgitation)
- Ulcer
- No appetite
- Cough
In children, in addition to being characterized by difficulty eating or swallowing breast milk, esophagitis can also be characterized by impaired growth.
If you have esophagitis, see a doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Chest pain is like being squeezed, especially if you also have heart disease or hypertension.
- Difficulty swallowing even small amounts of water.
- Feeling that food is stuck in the throat.
Causes of Esophagitis
Inflammation of the esophagus or esophagus can be caused by several things, including:
- Reflux (rise) of stomach acid into the esophagus. This condition is caused by a problem with the valve that holds the stomach contents from going up into the esophagus. Esophagitis is also more likely to occur in patients with acid reflux disease who do not receive treatment.
- Allergy. This condition occurs due to an allergic reaction triggered by certain foods, such as eggs, milk, wheat, soybeans, or beef. In addition to food, allergic reactions that cause esophagitis can also be triggered by dust.
- Infection. This condition is caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection of the esophageal tissue. Infections of the esophagus mainly occur in patients who have a weak immune system, such as patients with HIV, cancer, or diabetes.
- Drugs. Certain medications, such as antibiotics or pain relievers, can cause inflammation of the esophagus if they stay in the esophagus for too long. Inflammation of the esophagus can also be triggered by the habit of swallowing medication without water.
In addition to the causes above, there are a number of factors that can make a person more at risk of developing esophagitis, namely:
- Have a family member who has esophagitis.
- Have an allergic disease, such as asthma or allergic rhinitis.
- Old age.
- Likes to eat fatty foods or eat large portions.
- Consuming caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, or flavored foods mint excessively.
- Have a habit of going to bed immediately after eating.
Esophagitis Diagnosis
After asking the patient's symptoms, the doctor will perform a physical examination. If there is a suspicion of esophagitis, there are several examinations that will be recommended by the doctor, namely:
- endoscope, to see the condition of the esophagus with the help of a tube equipped with a camera at the end. This tool will be inserted through the mouth. Through an endoscopic procedure, a sample of esophageal tissue can also be taken for later examination in a laboratory.
- Pscan, to see the structure of the esophagus with the help of X-rays and a special dye made from barium. In this method, the patient is asked to swallow a liquid containing barium before the scan is performed.
Esophagitis Treatment and Complications
Treatment of esophagitis aims to treat the cause, reduce symptoms, and prevent complications.
Esophagitis treatment will be tailored to the cause. Here are some forms of esophagitis treatment based on the cause:
- Reflstomach acid uks. Patients will be given drugs that neutralize stomach acid or reduce gastric acid production. Examples of drugs given are antacids, ranitidine, cimetidine, omeprazole, or lansoprazole. If necessary, surgery will be performed to strengthen the valve between the stomach and esophagus.
- Infection. To treat this type of esophagitis, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungals according to the cause of the infection.
- Drugs. Consult again with the doctor who gave the drug. Talk about the benefits and risks of the drug, and ask if the drug can be changed or discontinued, because it can cause esophagitis as a side effect.
- Allergy. In addition to giving drugs that reduce the production of stomach acid, the doctor will also give anti-allergic drugs and corticosteroids, as well as regulate the type of food consumed.
If esophagitis has developed complications that make the esophagus narrow, the gastrointestinal surgeon will perform surgery to widen it again. A narrowed esophagus can make food stuck when swallowed.
In addition to undergoing treatment from a doctor, there are several things that patients can do to help relieve symptoms and prevent esophagitis from recurring, namely:
- Quit smoking.
- Lose weight.
- Avoid lying down after eating.
- Elevate the head position while sleeping.
- Swallow the medicine with the help of a glass of water.
- Reduce consumption of foods that can increase stomach acid, such as coffee, alcohol, chocolate, and flavored foods mint.
Complications of Esophagitis
Esophagitis needs to be treated properly, because if not, esophagitis can cause complications such as:
- Esophageal narrowing.
- Barrett's esophagus, where there is a change in the structure of the esophageal wall tissue that makes a person more at risk of developing esophageal cancer.
- Injuries and bleeding in the esophageal wall due to food stuck.