Symptoms of esophageal esophagitis, treatment and prevention
Esophagitis is a disease characterized by destructive and inflammatory changes in the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Esophagitis is diagnosed both as an independent disease and as a manifestation of other pathologies of the stomach or esophagus, infectious diseases. Find out what distal and catarrhal esophagitis are, what are the symptoms and causes of the disease, and the methods of its treatment.
Causes of erosive esophagitis
The main causes are irritation of the esophagus (mechanical, chemical, thermal, radiation), throwing stomach contents into the esophagus, infectious processes, injuries. The causative agents of infectious esophagitis are bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Sometimes there are several pathogens.
Radiant, corrosive, eosinophilic, erosive esophagitis are distinguished. The cause of the first is radiation burn, which can occur after radiation therapy for cancer. Corrosive esophagitis is the result of a chemical burn of the esophagus (usually acid or alkali). Eosinophilic esophagitis is the result of allergy.
Causes of erosive esophagitis:
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease);
- frequent vomiting;
- drugs (aspirin and other NSAIDs, some antibiotics, iron-containing products, glucocorticosteroids);
- taking tablets with a small amount of water or in a lying position;
- too hot and spicy food.
By the nature of the inflammatory process, catarrhal, hemorrhagic, phlegmonous (usually occurs when the wall of the esophagus is damaged by a foreign body), necrotic esophagitis is distinguished. According to the course, acute and chronic are distinguished. The latter often develops with smoking, alcohol abuse and spicy food. According to the localization of the inflammatory process, proximal (affects the upper parts of the esophagus), distal (lower parts), total esophagitis (the entire esophagus) is distinguished.
Symptoms of esophageal esophagitis are dysphagia (difficult and painful swallowing), heartburn, feeling of a lump in the throat, nausea. Regurgitation, vomiting, profuse salivation are also noted. Similar symptoms are observed with insufficiency of the cardia of the stomach in children.
How to treat GERD with esophagitis
Esophagitis treatment depends on the cause of the disease. Medicines for superficial esophagitis are drugs that are prescribed for gastroesophageal reflex disease - proton pump inhibitors, H2-histamine receptor blockers, prokinetics, antacids.
Antibiotics, antifungal agents, antiviral drugs are prescribed for the treatment of infectious esophagitis. Drugs for candidal esophagitis - clotrimazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, flucytosine, caspofungin. In the treatment of candidal esophagitis in patients with immunodeficiency, the drugs of choice are ketoconazole and fluconazole. Due to better digestibility, fluconazole is most often prescribed. If the patient has impaired swallowing, parenteral forms of the drug are recommended.
Remedies for the treatment of reflex esophagitis of varying degrees are radically different. If with superficial esophagitis, therapy begins with herbal preparations (chamomile, St. John's wort, yarrow), diet, anti-secretory agents, antacids, then with 2-4 degrees of the disease, corticosteroids are prescribed to reduce inflammation. With a significant lesion of the esophagus, intravenous nutrition may be indicated, which will help avoid mucosal irritation and accelerate healing. In severe cases and with complications of esophagitis, surgical treatment may be required. Read more about how to treat GERD with esophagitis on our website Dobrobut.com.
Esophagitis prevention
Esophagitis affects two to five percent of people age 55 and older. Excess weight increases the risk of developing esophagitis, therefore prevention of the disease includes weight control, a healthy lifestyle, diet, and timely treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Diet menu for chronic reflex esophagitis:
- puréed soups, pureed soups;
- cereals on water (except those that cause heartburn);
- grated cheese, cheesecakes, casseroles;
- boiled and mashed vegetables (zucchini, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower);
- lean meat and fish;
- hard-boiled eggs.
You need to eat in small portions, but often. Foods that cause heartburn should be excluded from the diet.
It is also important to know the risk factors for the development of esophagitis:
- obesity;
- pregnancy;
- hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm;
- smoking;
- allergy;
- regular use of certain foods and drinks in large quantities (citrus, chocolate, garlic, onions, spices, alcohol, caffeinated drinks);
- habit of lying down immediately after eating.
Weakened immunity against the background of infectious diseases also increases the risk of developing infectious esophagitis.
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