Esophageal ulcers are wound surfaces on the wall of an organ mucosa. Usually, such a disease occurs in people over 40 years of age, but in some cases, the appearance of foci is noted at a younger age, more often in men.
In non-neglected forms, an esophageal ulcer, the symptoms and treatment of which has been studied in detail by doctors, is easily amenable to therapy.
Localization and forms of the disease
As a rule, ulcers form in the lower part of the esophagus. The disease can be both acute and chronic. In addition, lesions can be single (peptic) or multiple. Often, the factors determining their appearance are problems with the stomach and duodenum - digestive juice enters the esophagus, causing damage to the mucous membrane.
Causes
Many factors may be due to the development of such an ailment as an esophageal ulcer. The causes of the disease are diverse:
- complications after surgery;
- the wrong diet;
- increased peristalsis of the gastric muscles;
- high acidity of gastric juice;
- bad habits (excessive drinking and smoking);
- weakening of the human immune system;
- tumors that narrow the lumen of the canal;
- diverticulum of the organ (curvature of the esophagus, causing stagnation of food);
- taking aggressive medications;
- chemotherapy, chest radiation;
- massive injuries, burns, significant damage to important organs.
Symptoms
Often, a disease precisely by external and internal manifestations can be classified as an ulcer of the esophagus. Symptoms of the disease, as a rule, are unambiguous:
- pain in the chest, aggravating during meals or immediately after;
- discomfort when swallowed;
- heartburn, belching;
- smell from the mouth.
Competent doctors
A common ailment of the digestive system at the present time is precisely an ulcer of the esophagus, the treatment of which is under the supervision of a gastroenterologist. The direction to him is usually given by the therapist. The specialist diagnoses the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, analyzes the symptoms and offers the most suitable method of therapy, usually aimed at eliminating the ulceration.
Varieties of ulcerative lesions
The most common classification considers 2 types of disease - symptomatic and true (peptic). In the first case, the form of the ulcer depends on the causes that caused the disease. So, there are drug, nervous, stagnant and decubital species.
Often, damage occurs when ingestion of aggressive substances - many medications irritate the walls of the esophagus, which leads to inflammation. With strong emotional stress and shocks, the appearance of a stress ulcer is possible , and the formation of congestive phenomena is characteristic when the organ is squeezed by tumorous neoplasms. The decubital variety is observed in patients who receive nutrients through a probe, which can damage the mucous membrane.
For this type of deviation, it is important how the esophageal ulcer manifests itself (symptoms), and its treatment is carried out directly according to the clinical manifestations.
The true type of ulcer involves the classification of the disease according to the course of the course - the pathology can be acute and chronic. The first type is characterized by a course of the disease with acid vomiting. The most common acute form is diagnosed after surgery. Chronic ulcers appear in the case of prolonged exposure to the walls of the esophagus of the components of the gastric juice, which damage the mucous membrane. In general, the occurrence of peptic ulcers is due only to the negative effect of hydrochloric acid on the organ.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis always starts with an assessment of what happens with an ailment such as an esophageal ulcer, symptoms, and treatment is developed in accordance with the clinical picture. A medical history is collected, during which the patient’s eating habits and lifestyle are analyzed. In addition, the doctor determines the presence or absence of similar manifestations in the patient’s relatives, examines his skin for rashes, spots and neoplasms and takes into account the fat composition of the body. Often, to complete the clinical picture, blood samples are examined (diagnosis of anemia and leukocytosis), feces (to exclude the presence of bleeding).
The localization of the ulcer is determined instrumentally. Using a probe, the pH of the mucosa is measured. With an endoscope, the doctor removes a small piece of esophagus tissue to determine if a bacterial strain of Helicobacter pylori is present. If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the cavity, x-ray and computed tomography are additionally prescribed.
Treatment
At the very early stages of the disease, as a rule, intensive therapy is not required - it will be enough to limit the use of irritating food, not to be subjected to heavy loads and to abandon excessively tight synthetic clothing. Treatment with folk remedies will not be superfluous. It is also advisable to avoid lying down immediately after eating, and it is better to sleep at night with a raised headboard. During therapy should abandon physical activity, suggesting forward bends.
This effect is effective if there is a small, recently appeared ulcer of the esophagus. Treatment of more severe forms can be performed in two ways - medication and surgery.
Drug therapy
Often, drugs that have antibacterial, antacid and astringent effects are used in therapy. You will also need medicines that accelerate the regeneration of the affected areas, and in extreme cases, analgesics will not be superfluous.
The main goal of drug therapy is to reduce pain, acidity of the gastric juice and irritability of the mucosa, on which an esophageal ulcer has formed. Symptoms and treatment are related, since the disappearance of negative manifestations indicates an improvement in the clinical picture.
An important role is played by drugs that accelerate the healing of ulcers. As part of such preparations, there is a substance that stimulates regeneration, which restores the correct structure of the tissue. Antacids are required to reduce the aggressive effect of hydrochloric acid on the esophagus by neutralization, and prokinetics effectively restore gastrointestinal motility.
Operative therapy
Surgery to treat peptic ulcers is performed if conservative therapy is ineffective. Surgery is also required in case of insufficiency of gastric sphincter closure. Basically, the intervention is necessary to prevent complications in the form of a hiatal hernia. The esophagus fundoplication is performed - the stomach is suspended from the diaphragm and attached to the abdominal wall. This is necessary to restore the correct angle between the organs - in this position, the risk of throwing hydrochloric acid onto the mucous membrane of the channel is reduced. Often the operation is combined with proximal selective vagotomy according to the Nissen method, which involves the intersection of vagus nerve fragments responsible for the release of gastric hydrogen chloride.
Esophageal ulcer diet
An important component of therapy at all stages is to follow a proper diet. Properly constructed nutrition will help reduce pain and accelerate recovery. So, under the ban are products that affect the secretion of gastric juice, increasing it. Fatty and fried foods, fresh bread, alcoholic and carbonated drinks, mushrooms should be excluded. At the time of treatment, it is advisable to completely switch to boiled and double-cooked products. You can include dairy foods with zero fat content, eggs, cereals and meat without a lipid layer in the diet.
It is important to observe the drinking regime: patients with an esophageal ulcer are shown increased water consumption - at least 1.5 liters per day.
Alternative treatment of esophageal ulcer
There are many ways to prevent and treat an esophageal ulcer using unconventional methods. In the vast majority of cases, this type of therapy is safe, as it is based on the use of herbs as drugs. But, despite this, before applying the prescriptions of alternative medicine, a doctor’s permission is required.
The most popular folk remedies for esophageal ulcers are represented by recipes for tinctures and decoctions:
- A mixture of peppermint, flax seeds and fennel is prepared, which are taken in equal proportions. The composition is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for 30 minutes. A broth is taken twice a day in a glass.
- Several peeled potatoes are boiled in half a liter of water, then the solution is drained. Drink it should be half an hour before meals, 150 ml at a time. You can drink the liquid after waking up - 1 cup before breakfast will be enough.
- Chicken eggs and young bee honey are mixed in a ratio of 1: 2. The best time for taking is on an empty stomach in the morning, the duration of therapy is 14 days.
- Before breakfast, you can drink a glass of water and with an interval of half an hour take a spoonful of honey and butter. They take the medicine for 10 days, then a break of the same duration follows, and the course is repeated.
- An hour before meals, with an ulcer, they use cabbage or potato juice - 200 and 75 ml, respectively. The course of treatment is a month.
- Propolis (40 g) is introduced into 500 ml of olive oil and heated in a water bath for half an hour. The mixture is taken on an empty stomach in a warm form on a tablespoon.
- Two tablespoons of cherry branches are poured 290 g of boiling water and infused in a thermos for at least 8-10 hours. A broth is used for 60 days three times a day 20 minutes before meals. Single dose - 60 ml.
- A tablespoon of the mixture, prepared from an equal amount of sage and plantain, is filled with 240 ml of water and insulated with a dense cloth for 2.5-3 hours. In the first decade, the broth is taken half a glass before breakfast, then before the end of the monthly course, the number of daily meals is tripled.
- A full spoon of dried plantain is placed in a thermos with 200 ml of boiling water and infused for 8-10 hours. The medicine is taken three times a day for half an hour before eating.
Many gastrointestinal diseases respond well to such therapy, including an esophageal ulcer. Treatment with folk remedies gives a noticeable restorative and calming effect.
Complications of the disease
With untimely or illiterate treatment, complications of the disease are possible. The main manifestations of these pathological conditions are ulcerative bleeding, narrowing of the esophageal canal and its perforation, weight loss. In addition, the focus can grow and go to the nearest organs, causing their defeat. That is why it is better not to delay the treatment and consult a doctor immediately if mild symptoms appear. There is also literature on the degeneration of untreated ulcers into cancerous tumors.
Preventative measures
To prevent the occurrence of an ulcer, the influence of adverse factors in advance should be excluded: it is advisable to completely stop smoking, reduce the negative load on the nervous system, and regularly undergo scheduled examinations by a doctor. For general strengthening of the body, it is useful to follow a diet, eat dinner no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The occurrence of inflammatory processes in neighboring organs can also provoke esophageal ulcers, so all abnormalities must be cured in advance.
Forecast
In the case of a timely visit to a doctor and adequate therapy, it is not difficult to cure an esophageal ulcer - two to three months will be enough to fully recover. If the disease has turned into a chronic form, healing can take several years.
Increasingly, the population acquires such a defect in the gastrointestinal mucosa as an esophageal ulcer. Symptoms, treatment (folk remedies, medicines, surgery) are described in detail in the medical literature, which simplifies the diagnosis of deviations.
With proper therapy, an ulcer is not a dangerous disease - in a fairly short time, the functions of the esophagus will fully recover, and the symptoms will disappear. Quite effective for an unreleased form of pathology is an alternative treatment with herbal remedies aimed at healing irritated and inflamed organ mucosa. Sometimes folk methods are combined with medical and even surgical.