If the esophagus is damaged mechanically or when infection penetrates, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed. In the absence of therapy, esophagitis of the esophagus develops. The treatment of this disease is long, accompanied by pain, heartburn, increased salivation.
What is esophagitis?
Esophagitis is an inflammatory disease of the intestinal mucosa that occurs against other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It can develop regardless of age and gender.
For the development of the disease, negative factors are required that affect the esophagus. This may be the effect of alcohol, chronic infectious diseases, smoking. For this reason, men are diagnosed with esophagitis more often than women.
The clinical picture of the disease depends on the presence of complications and the causes of the pathology. According to the international classification of diseases, esophagitis is assigned the code K20.
Symptoms of the disease
For the acute stage, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- impaired respiratory and swallowing function;
- sore throat;
- burning in the chest.
Symptoms and treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus depend on the severity of the lesions:
- At the initial mild stage, symptoms may be erased or completely absent. Most often manifested by sensitivity to cold and hot food.
- The severe stage of the disease is manifested by pain in the chest area. Most often there is a burning, sharp pain. Sometimes gives to other parts of the body. There is heartburn, bloating, and salivation.
- At the critical stage, vomiting with blood, weakness, and shock appear. Urgent hospitalization required. After vivid symptoms, the stage of necrosis and deep ulcers begins. Stenosis, degeneration of tissues, inability to fully eat appear.
Symptoms of chronic esophagitis:
- heartburn;
- sour belching;
- laryngospasms;
- increased bronchopulmonary diseases;
- pain in the back or neck.
Treatment for esophagitis of the esophagus and reflux depends on the brightness of the manifestation of the following symptoms:
- bitter belching;
- abdominal pain;
- heartburn;
- the release of a large amount of sputum.
Disease classification
When diagnosing a disease, acute, subacute and chronic esophagitis are distinguished. The degree of change in the mucosa is determined by:
- phlegmonous;
- exfoliative;
- pseudomembranous;
- hemorrhagic;
- necrotic;
- erosive;
- hydropic;
- catarrhal.
An acute disease develops with mechanical damage or a burn. Less commonly, infections are those that enter the esophagus from other affected organs. This scenario is found in scarlet fever, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Acute inflammation is divided into three degrees depending on the lesion:
- Inflammation affects only the surface of the mucosa without the formation of erosion.
- The defeat of the mucosa is deep, ulcers are found on the surface.
- Deep lesion with vascular perforation and the risk of bleeding.
Treatment of erosive esophagitis of the esophagus is long and requires compliance with the recommendations of the doctor and diet. In the first stage, a complete restoration of the walls of the esophagus is possible.
Chronic esophagitis appears as a result of an untreated acute illness or with prolonged regular exposure to unfavorable factors on the esophagus. Most often, such manifestations provoke a stomach ulcer, gastritis. The chronic stage is characterized by pain behind the sternum, heaviness after eating, bloating.
Treatment of chronic esophagus esophagitis is prescribed depending on the type of disease:
- Alimentary develops with malnutrition;
- terminal diagnosed with reflux;
- professional esophagitis appears as a result of the constant exposure of the aggressive environment to the respiratory tract;
- with stenosis and stagnation of food, congestive esophagitis appears;
- allergic reactions and asthma provoke the appearance of allergic esophagitis;
- fibrous develops as a result of a prolonged inflammatory process and deformation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
Appearance mechanism
An irritating effect on the esophagus does not always lead to the development of the disease. If the irritation was minor, then the body can cope with the violation of the mucosa. With regular adverse effects on the esophagus, changes in microflora, inflamed areas appear, which eventually develop into sores and erosion.
If you do not start timely treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus, then the wounds are scarred with coarse tissue. The consequences of the disease can be various, up to stenosis of the larynx. With regular irritation of the inflamed areas, bleeding occurs.
Causes of the disease
Treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus depends on the degree of damage and the cause of the disease. It:
- poisoning by alcohol, chemicals;
- burns to the mucous membrane with medical preparations, hot food or drink;
- chronic burns due to repeated intake of hot food;
- as a result of an allergic reaction to drugs;
- microtrauma when eating coarse unground food;
- mechanical damage resulting from a swallowed item or careless medical intervention;
- as a result of a viral or bacterial infection;
- fungal infection;
- esophageal hernia;
- concomitant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum;
- scleroderma;
- reflux, throwing the contents of the stomach into the esophagus;
- malignant neoplasms;
- overweight;
- malnutrition;
- chronic constipation;
- prolonged vomiting;
- pregnancy;
- benign tumors of the esophagus.
Diagnostics
When the first signs of the disease appear, you should contact the therapist for a diagnosis and the choice of drugs for the treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus. In case of poisoning with chemicals, shock and bleeding, urgent hospitalization of the patient is required.
The examination method is chosen by the doctor depending on the severity of the symptoms. Diagnostics includes:
- General analysis of blood and urine.
- With the infectious development of esophagitis, a blood test to determine the type of pathogen.
- The presence of antibodies to HIV infection.
- A blood test for cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, fungi.
- An x-ray with an injected contrast agent can detect the presence of a foreign body, stenosis of the larynx, neoplasm.
- Measurement of pressure inside the esophagus, determination of the rate of emptying.
- Examination of the mucosa by an esophagoscope to determine the degree of damage.
- Biopsy from damaged areas.
Diet for esophagitis of the esophagus
Treatment of ulcerative esophagitis of the esophagus and other forms of the disease begins with a diet. To do this, eat during the day in small portions every 2-3 hours. Dishes should not be hot, processing - gentle.
With the disease, you can not eat products that provoke the activity of the sphincter:
- Tomatoes
- citruses;
- strong tea;
- coffee;
- butter baking;
- sweet foods;
- sparkling water.
Food should be warm, liquid, or mashed. You can eat boiled or stewed foods. Give preference to cereals, steam cutlets, dairy products.
Treatment
The first two stages use conservative methods of treatment. With the appearance of gross scars and narrowing of the esophagus, which is a life threat, surgery is performed.
Medicines for the treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus are used in the form of tablets or suspensions:
- Antacids to reduce the sensitivity of the esophagus and protect against negative effects. These include Almagel, Smecta.
- Preparations that regulate the gastric juice and the digestive system ("Omez", "Omeprazole").
- Medicines to increase intestinal motor function, for timely emptying. This is Kleboprid, Betanecol.
Patient reviews talk about the effectiveness of physiotherapy and laser therapy. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
For the treatment of reflux esophagitis and hernia of the esophagus, drugs are prescribed that reduce the throwing of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. Injury of a hernia is a dangerous condition for a person. The treatment in this case is only surgical and urgent. When diagnosing a hernia in a calm state, it is better to have surgery as planned.
Treatment of erosive esophagitis of the esophagus with drugs will not give an effect without observing the patient's general recommendations:
- after eating, you can not go to bed, you should take an upright position;
- the head of the bed should be raised 15 cm;
- do not overtighten the stomach;
- refuse alcoholic beverages and smoking;
- remove fatty, spicy, sweet foods from the diet;
- provide the body with vitamins.
Surgical methods
Surgical methods of treating the disease are used if there is no effect of drug therapy. Most often, surgery is required in the treatment of esophageal ulcerative esophagitis. In this case, medicines almost do not help, physiotherapy does not have an effect.
Surgery is recommended when complications or deterioration of health. With an increase in bronchopulmonary diseases up to 5-6 episodes per year, surgical intervention will also be required.
All operations can be divided into gentle and traumatic. To treat erosive esophagitis of the esophagus, surgeons use methods:
- bougieurage is used for esophageal stenosis and helps to expand the lumen;
- excision of the esophagus, in which ulcers or scars appeared;
- laser endoscopic therapy;
- current stimulation of the lower esophagus.
Folk methods
Treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus with folk remedies is used as adjunctive therapy. Reviews of people say that some plants help to speed up recovery:
- Fresh plantain juice. The leaves are crushed through a meat grinder and squeezed. Take 1 tbsp. l in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Sugar dandelion syrup drink 1 tbsp. l diluted in 100 ml of water. A syrup is made from 50 g of flowers and 35 g of sugar.
- Calamus root pour a glass of boiling water. Insist hour. Take 100 ml each time before meals.
- Boiled flax seeds relieve inflammation. drink a glass an hour before meals.
- 100 g of thyme leaves are crushed and poured with dry white wine. Insist 7 days. Take 50 ml three times a day before meals.
Complications and consequences
Acute esophagitis in violation of the doctor's recommendations goes into the chronic stage. Changing the surface of the mucosa leads to a narrowing of the esophagus and a violation of the digestive and swallowing functions. In this case, surgical intervention is required.
Complications arising from esophagitis:
- Deep ulcers of the esophagus, leading to contraction of the organ.
- Compression of the esophagus, difficulty in the passage of food into the stomach.
- Weight loss, anorexia.
- Rupture of the wall of the esophagus.
- Erosive esophagitis can cause tissue abscess.
- The occurrence of cancer of the esophagus.
Disease prevention
For the prevention of esophagitis of the esophagus, reduce inflammation and the risk of complications, the following rules should be observed:
- adhere to the recommendation of the attending physician;
- undergo routine medical examinations;
- in the presence of excess weight, get rid of unnecessary kilograms;
- raise the head of the bed;
- in clothing, give preference to free cut and natural fabrics;
- follow a diet;
- refuse harmful food in case of illness and remission;
- quit smoking;
- do not drink alcoholic beverages;
- take the medicine with plenty of water.
With the initial stage of pathology, timely treatment, diet, the prognosis is favorable. Perhaps a complete cure for the disease. With a change in lifestyle, the exclusion of negative factors of influence during the period of remission, improving the quality of nutrition and taking vitamin complexes will allow you to forget about esophagitis of the esophagus forever. Complications and purulent forms are treatable depending on the severity.