Catarrhal esophagitis is the most common form of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, which is characterized by superficial lesion and pronounced hyperemia.
According to popular opinion, this phenomenon occurs in many people due to the consumption of too spicy or hot food, which adversely affects the digestive organs. But of all the pathologies of this system, it is catarrhal esophagitis that occurs most often. And the reason for this is, as a rule, not only liberties in food, but also diseases of nearby organs and infections of other parts of the digestive tract.
Description
Catarrhal esophagitis - what is it and how to treat it? You can get the answer to this question by reading just a few paragraphs of useful information.
Due to long-term chemical or physical injury to the mucous membrane of the esophagus, catarrhal esophagitis can occur in every person. This pathology can occur in a chronic and acute form. The latter, usually, is the result of a sharp aggressive effect on the esophagus. But the chronic form of pathology develops due to the constant harmful effects on the membrane.
Often this disease is accompanied by a host of other diseases of the digestive system. Usually at risk are people of different sex and age who are prone to regular drinking and improper diet.
Among other things, catarrhal esophagitis can have a different location: it is quite capable of covering the entire esophagus or only its distal end, close to the stomach. Today, it is the latter type of pathology that is most common.
Causes of the disease
The inflammatory process that originates on the mucous membrane of the esophagus is a fairly common occurrence. This is a kind of reaction of the body to damage that does not suit him. To a greater or lesser extent, every day all people are affected by agents alien to the digestive tract. These include:
- viral and bacterial infections;
- medicines that worsen the protective properties of the esophagus;
- regular stress;
- too hot and spicy dishes, too dry food, alcohol and strong drinks consumed on an empty stomach.
In some cases, an acute form of pathology occurs due to a malfunction in the motor activity of the esophagus, as well as insufficiency or stenosis, which violates the protective properties of the membrane. In addition, the cause of esophagitis can be a pathological formation in the abdominal cavity, all kinds of factors that increase intra-abdominal pressure and even pregnancy.
Features
At different intensities, the effects of the harmful elements of the shell react differently. So this is catarrhal esophagitis and how to treat it? This is a pathological condition of the esophagus, which is characterized by the occurrence of inflammation. In the affected area, the mucous membrane undergoes swelling, and during the examination, redness, which is also called hyperemia, becomes clearly noticeable. In general, this is a normal reaction of the body to all sorts of inconveniences - this way any tissue can respond.
In a normal state, a healthy esophagus has a pink color and few folds. If a person is sick with catarrhal esophagitis, his mucous membrane is covered with bright scarlet spots, while the tissue itself is significantly increased in size.
What is reflux esophagitis?
This is another kind of disease. Due to cardia insufficiency, catarrhal esophagitis develops most often in the lower sphincter, which performs the task of a kind of barrier between the esophagus and stomach. This type of pathology is characterized by the release of intestinal contents back due to reflux. The esophagus contains an alkaline medium, and the stomach contains an acid, which adversely affects the mucous membranes of other organs.
What could be the causes of a phenomenon like reflux?
- Increased pressure inside the abdominal cavity due to wearing too tight clothes, sharp bending forward after eating, heavy weight and pregnancy.
- Arbitrary weakening of the sphincter muscles.
- Unhealthy diet.
- Various pathologies of the digestive system: for example, gastritis or an ulcer.
- Postoperative damage to the cardia.
- Hernia in the diaphragm.
- Tumors in the abdominal cavity.
- Infectious diseases of a chronic nature.
- Gallstone disease.
Symptoms of Catarrhal Esophagitis
With the development of this pathology, the painful process is not always tangible. Often, the disease before any complications does not manifest itself at all. Moreover, signs of catarrhal esophagitis are so rare that it is quite difficult to identify the disease.
Experts talk about the most common symptoms of the disease, helping to make a diagnosis on time.
- Burning sensation in the chest area that occurs after eating. Most of all, heartburn worries the patient after eating dry and spicy foods. In some cases, this is just a feeling of scratching or slight discomfort in the throat.
- Pain in the chest area, which is caused by sharp spasms of the muscles of the esophagus.
- Excess saliva as a protective reaction of the body to the release of the acid contents of the stomach back.
- Regular nausea and vomiting.
- Belching and heartburn.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Sometimes pain can be given to the area between the shoulder blades, as well as to the jaw or neck.
- In children, the disease can be detected by noticing frequent vomiting of milk or regurgitation of air.
Diagnostics
To make a diagnosis of catarrhal esophagitis, several important studies must be done:
- esophagoscopy;
- pH analysis;
- examination of the motor function of the esophagus;
- radiography of the damaged organ.
In order to accurately diagnose this pathology, it is necessary to carry out a thorough medical history and evaluate the clinical picture. When prescribing esophagoscopy, a specialist must necessarily clarify the presence of contraindications to this procedure. By the way, the manipulation itself involves the study of the inside of the esophagus.
Therapy
Treatment of catarrhal esophagitis should be prescribed depending on the overall clinical picture, the course of the disease and the severity of the modifications of the mucous membrane. As a rule, conservative therapy is used. Pathology requires surgical intervention only when complications lead to life-threatening forms of the disease.
It is necessary to start treatment with proper nutrition. The diet recommended for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of esophagitis consists of several main points:
- Regular fractional meals in small portions.
- The last meal should occur no less than 3 hours before going to bed.
- The menu for the entire period of therapy should include exclusively sparing dishes that will not irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus. It is necessary to completely abandon spicy and fatty foods, coffee, alcohol and carbonated drinks. The use of flour and sweet also needs to be reduced.
- Skillful processing of products plays an important role. The menu should contain exclusively boiled and baked dishes, as well as sweets, steamed.
Each patient is assigned a special diet and diet. In addition, it is very important to exclude existing traumatic factors.
It is worth saying that the treatment of esophagitis will be truly effective only if the patient actually adheres to a diet and a healthy diet.
Drug therapy
At first glance, esophagitis is just a simple inflammatory process, so you can get by with a diet alone. With 1 degree of catarrhal esophagitis, proper nutrition and easy adjustment of the lifestyle as a whole will actually be quite enough. If unpleasant symptoms pester the patient every day, without ceasing to bother him too long after eating, small changes can not be dispensed with. In this case, it is time to start a more serious treatment. In addition to the diet, the patient is prescribed certain medications:
- Means that renew the protection of the mucous membrane from gastric juice: for example, Solcoseryl, a decoction of flaxseed, alginates.
- To quickly and effectively eliminate heartburn, you can use antacids after eating: for example, Almagel, Rennie, Maalox, Fosfalugel.
- In case of painful spasms, taking into account the indications and complaints of the patient, “No-shpa” and “Papaverine” can be prescribed intramuscularly.
- In addition to symptomatic therapy, medications that stabilize excess stomach acid can be used. Such funds are recommended without fail with reflux esophagitis. In this case, therapy should be carried out as a whole course for at least a month. You can apply: Pantoprazole, Famotidine, Omeprazole, Lansoprazole.
The treatment regimen suitable for the patient is selected individually, depending on the symptoms manifested and the tolerance of the active substances of the drugs. In addition, the course of therapy may also include physiotherapy.
Treatment of catarrhal esophagitis with folk remedies
The number of patients with such a disease is growing from year to year. As a rule, traditional methods of therapy are used to correct the pathological condition, including all kinds of medications and diet. But we should not forget about the alternative treatment of catarrhal esophagitis, because it also often turns out to be effective. Using simple recipes, you can very quickly and easily get rid of unpleasant symptoms. In therapy for esophagitis, traditional medicine suggests using flaxseed, sea buckthorn oil, aloe juice, various herbs and honey. But keep in mind that such treatment should be started only after consulting a qualified gastroenterologist.
In order for traditional therapy to really benefit, it is very important to strictly adhere to the selected recipes and the right dosages. In addition, it is worth saying that the treatment of esophagitis exclusively with simple recipes is strongly discouraged. The best result can be achieved if we competently combine traditional and folk methods.
Plants for treatment
Most often, with esophagitis, alternative medicine advises resorting to the use of herbs - they are considered an effective tool in the fight against pathology and rarely cause allergies. To relieve unpleasant symptoms, you can use:
- lemon balm;
- mint;
- rose hips;
- chamomile;
- pine buds;
- mountain ash;
- aloe.
Flax seeds also have a lot of useful properties, so they use it not only for the treatment of esophagitis, but also for various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. But if, in addition to this pathology, the patient was found to have hepatitis or malfunction of the gall bladder, you should refuse to take a wonderful plant.
Sweet treat
Another excellent product that effectively fights inflammation of the mucous membrane is ordinary honey. During the day you need to eat about 50 grams of bee matter. To speed up the absorption of damaged tissues, honey can be dissolved in a small amount of warm water.
But it is very important to avoid taking a bee product immediately after eating. It is advisable that after a meal at least a couple of hours have passed. And yet - people with allergies should be very careful about this product. Children should be given honey very carefully.
Conclusion
Despite the prevalence of catarrhal esophagitis, it needs close attention. After all, once launched a disease can lead to serious complications: for example, bleeding, as well as ulcers and narrowing of the esophagus. That is why, after making a diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a full course of therapy.