Barrett's esophagus is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, against which the contents of the stomach enter the esophagus, irritating its walls. Pathology, as a rule, is formed in patients with a more than five-year history of such a pathology as reflux. Thus, approximately ten percent of patients develop Barrett's esophagus.
Symptomatology
There are no specific symptoms for this condition. Sometimes it is asymptomatic, especially in the elderly. The main clinical symptoms are the same signs as in reflux disease. Most often, the following deviations in well-being are observed among them:
- Heartburn, which manifests itself in the form of unpleasant burning sensations behind the sternum, as well as along the esophagus. Typically, this state of health occurs in people after overeating, eating sharp, smoked and fried foods, as well as alcohol, strong tea, coffee or soda.
What other symptoms of Barrett's esophagus are known?
- The appearance of a sore throat. As a rule, it occurs thirty minutes after eating, intensifying during inclines or when a person is in a horizontal position.
- The appearance of belching with a sour taste, which intensifies after eating.
- The development of regurgitation in Barrett's esophagus disease, which is the reflux of semi-digested food from the stomach into the esophagus. Moreover, in more severe cases, dysphagia occurs, which is manifested by a violation of swallowing.
- The appearance of abdominal pain immediately after eating.
- Thinning of enamel along with erosion of teeth.
- Occurrence of periodic nausea.
- Single vomiting after eating.
Proper nutrition
A very important point in the treatment of this disease is diet. Which is not surprising, since the main function of digestion is the assimilation of food products. Thus, a change in nutrition during the development of the disease greatly facilitates the work, reducing the load. But how exactly does a diet help with severe pathologies? Will it serve as an effective technique or will it be only a formality that will not affect anything? Next, we talk about the effects of nutrition in Barrett's esophagus.
Why is diet so important in this pathology?
The first words that patients hear at the beginning of their treatment from a gastroenterologist are that it is extremely important to eat properly. From the moment the diagnosis is established, the next period in the patient's life begins, on which his further well-being and state of health directly depend. In this regard, absolutely everyone is concerned about an urgent issue related to how much it is desirable to comply with medical recommendations regarding nutrition and how foods will affect the course of the disease.
It is important to note that the diet with Barrett's esophagus is not just a recommendatory one. Of course, certain products will not affect the degeneration of the atypical cell of the esophagus epithelium to normal, therefore, unlike other pathologies, in this case, proper nutrition is not the basis of treatment, but nevertheless it performs very important functions:
- By reducing the consumption of aggressive products for the esophagus, the patient thus minimizes the risk of further progression of the pathology.
- Healthy meals in the diet will make it possible to avoid certain complications.
- There is an additional decrease in the load on the digestive organs, which increases the likelihood of better absorption of drugs.
Elimination of the causes of the disease
As such, treatment against the background of Barrett's esophagus is aimed at eliminating the causes that led to the disease. Most often it is reflux and the accompanying symptoms, such as heartburn. In this case, the products are refluxed from the stomach to the upper areas of the digestive system. By themselves, the products do not directly affect one or another altered cell of the esophagus, but they can reduce the number of refluxes, affecting the acidity of the gastric juice, which leads to the replacement of normal epithelium with intestinal.
How to cure Barrett's esophagus is interesting to many.
Dietary rules for illness
Throughout the treatment period, the patient will have to strictly follow a number of some simple rules regarding not only the issue of products that should or should not be eaten. The lifestyle with the daily routine will also have to be slightly adjusted. So, how do you serve meals and what shouldn't be done?
- Nutrition with this diagnosis should occur at least five times a day. It is important to consider that the portions should be small, and the intervals between meals should be at least two hours.
- Preference is required to give stewed, boiled and steamed food, due to this less stress will be created on the digestive organs.
- Fruits with vegetables are best eaten in a boiled or stewed version. Raw and on an empty stomach - such products only irritate the stomach and lead to an increase in the production of hydrochloric acid by the body.
- Seasonings and hot spices, which contribute to the process of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, must be completely eliminated.
- During the therapy, it is forbidden to introduce unfamiliar food into the diet so as not to exacerbate the already pathological process.
- The last meal should be three hours before bedtime.
- Categories such as Barrett's esophagus and alcohol are completely incompatible. In any form, alcohol should be excluded for a long time.
- You should refrain from physical activity immediately after eating, and in addition, avoid torso. No need to wear clothes with a tight belt, corset or belt and so on.
- Smokers should quit smoking.
- It is important to abandon foods that the body does not tolerate. For such food, as a rule, bloating and constipation develops, loosening of the stool with nausea and heartburn can be observed.
As part of the selection of products, it is important first of all to be guided by the nuances of individual intolerance. Each person himself knows what he can and what is better to exclude from the diet.
Symptoms and treatment of Barrett's esophagus are often interrelated.
What is absolutely impossible to eat with a diagnosis?
The list of prohibited products in this case is far from small, but they can be excluded not at all forever, but only for the period of treatment. What can not be eaten with this diagnosis?
- Fatty and fried foods with spicy dishes. At the same time, sausage with pork, beef, fatty varieties of fish is also prohibited. Also, you can’t eat canned food along with cream, cheese, high percent sour cream, ketchup, mayonnaise and margarine.
- Canned vegetables with pickles are prohibited. You can not eat tomatoes, radishes, sauerkraut, sorrel, fiber-rich fruits and berries, and, in addition, mushrooms.
- From cereals, millet, pearl barley, barley and corn grits, as well as pasta with the exception of noodles, are usually excluded.
- Not all flour dishes are allowed in the diet with a diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus. Thus, you can not eat rye or any other fresh bread along with products from butter or puff pastry. At the time of treatment, you should refuse pies, and in addition, cakes and chocolate.
- Drinks should also be selected with particular severity. Strong tea with coffee and any carbonated liquids should not be consumed. Among other things, store juices and especially colored drinks are prohibited.
But why are so many foods excluded from the usual human diet? The answer lies in the fact that such food irritates the mucous membrane of the esophagus, which leads to the appearance of heartburn, contributing to increased production of gastric juice and creating a burden on the digestive organs.
A diet with Barrett's esophagus must be followed without fail.
What is allowed to eat with this pathology?
I must say that not everything is as sad as it might seem. Actually, it’s not the products that matter, but the dishes that are prepared from them. So, with pathology, it is allowed to use the following products and dishes:
- Yesterday’s wheat bread, which is slightly dried along with breadcrumbs, dry biscuits, pastille and marmalade.
- Mashed soups, first dishes from well-boiled and mashed vegetables.
- Butter with milk, yogurt and cottage cheese.
- Kefir with a diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus is not prohibited, but in some it can cause heartburn, so you should be careful with it.
- Vegetable oil, and in addition, viscous cereals cooked in water with the addition of a small amount of milk. For this, rice, buckwheat, semolina and oatmeal porridge is not suitable.
- Chicken along with veal and rabbit. Occasionally, you can cook lean beef varieties, as well as enter into your diet milk sausages (preferably the highest grade).
- Boiled eggs, as well as river fish.
- Boiled potatoes along with beets, carrots and non-sour fruits and berries.
Why do doctors recommend eating the above foods?
- They do not cause irritation of the lower esophageal sphincter or the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
- Maximum enrich the body with the necessary nutrients with minimal energy consumption, which is already more needed for recovery.
- Do not burden the digestive organs.
- Prevent congestion in the intestines and stomach, including.
With Barrett's esophagus, the erroneous principle of nutrition never works: if you can’t, but want, you can. This diagnosis is a disease with strict rules. Of course, no one will follow the implementation of these rules, but if you violate them, you can lose normal health forever.
Barrett's Esophagus Treatment
An ailment requires an urgent, and most importantly, complete treatment from a person, since it can degenerate into a malignant tumor. Oncological diseases are much easier to prevent than then try to find treatment for them. Now consider the main components of the treatment of this diagnosis.
- Diet with this diagnosis is an important component of treatment. The menu must be compiled with the help of your doctor. With such a diet, as has been described in detail above, you can not eat fried, spicy, smoked and sour foods. Food should not be hot, it should have room temperature. The diet for such patients should turn into a lifestyle. It can not be stopped after surgery.
- As for the medical treatment of Barrett's esophagus, it is aimed at lowering the acidity of gastric juice, and in addition, at eliminating Helicobacter pylori. Such a treatment usually consists of inhibitor drugs, which include Omeprazole along with Esomeprazole, Pantoprazole, Rabeprazole and Lansoprazole. Antacids may also be prescribed: “Maalox” with “Phosphalugel” and “Almagel”. As part of the fight against Helicobacter pylori, an individual antibiotic regimen is selected for the patient.
- Carrying out radiofrequency ablation. This method is the surgical removal of altered tissue using a special wave and high temperature. Against the background of radiofrequency ablation, there is not much tissue damage, and this method is considered a priority in this diagnosis. Despite the fact that radiofrequency ablation is a new method, it is widely used in modern medical practice.
- Barrett's esophagus surgery is usually prescribed to those patients who have a high degree of dysplasia along with the large surface of the altered mucous cells. The operation is performed under short intravenous anesthesia. With this manipulation, the affected mucosa is excised. Also, surgery is prescribed for patients who have complications in the form of a hernia, stenosis, bleeding and tumor.
- Alternative treatment of Barrett's esophagus is used, as a rule, as an auxiliary method. Most often, a remedy such as a decoction of flax seeds is used. These seeds have an enveloping and healing property. In addition, you can drink calendula tea. This plant is a powerful natural antiseptic.
Barrett's Esophagus Reviews
Consider the comments of people about this pathology. According to people who have managed to treat this disease, the prognosis for recovery will be positive if timely and correct treatment is carried out for patients. Unfortunately, with late diagnosis, the prognosis is usually disappointing. Often, patients develop a malignant complication. The most common complication is adenocarcinoma.
People write that it is very important that the therapy consist of a diet, and in addition, medical and surgical treatment. Alternative methods should be used only in the role of auxiliary therapy. It is noted that such patients need to adhere to a certain diet all their lives, conducting a periodic biopsy.
We looked at how to treat Barrett's esophagus. The main thing is to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions, especially when it comes to diet.