What to know about esophagitis

A popular reality star, Kim Kardashian, recently shared that she was diagnosed with esophagitis. When celebrities share their medical conditions, often more people become aware of the disease and want more information about it.

What is esophagitis?

Esophagitis is the swelling, irritation or inflammation of the lining of the esophagus, which is the muscular tube that carries food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach. This condition can be painful and make it hard to swallow food or liquids.

Other symptoms of esophagitis include:

• A cough
• Chest pain
• Heartburn

Other symptoms of esophagitis include:

• A cough
• Chest pain
• Heartburn

What causes esophagitis?

The most common cause of esophagitis is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acid and juices flow backward into your esophagus. Other causes of esophagitis include:

• Antibiotics
• Hiatal hernia
• Infection
• Food allergies, especially to seafood, milk, nuts, soy or eggs
• Medicines that irritate the esophagus such as:
  • Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen
  • Osteoporosis (bisphosphonates) medications
• Other diseases that make it hard to swallow, such as scleroderma
• Radiation therapy
• Vitamin and mineral supplements, including vitamin C, iron and potassium
• Weakened immune system due to:
  • Advanced age (senior adults)
  • Diabetes
  • HIV
  • Kidney problems
  • Steroid medications

Is esophagitis treatable?

Esophagitis is highly treatable. Treatment will depend on the cause. For example, if GERD is identified as the primary cause, your physician may recommend:

• Dietary changes
• Losing weight, if needed
• Other lifestyle changes
• Over-the-counter medications to reduce stomach acid (antacids)
• Prescription antacids

If the cause of esophagitis is an infection, you may need to take antibiotics or other medications to treat the infection. If it’s caused by a food allergy, corticosteroids may be prescribed.

If you have a tear in your esophagus or if something is blocking it, such as a tumor, surgery may be recommended.

What happens if esophagitis is not treated?

If esophagitis is not treated, consistent inflammation and irritation can cause long-term complications. While not fatal, these conditions require potentially more invasive and long-term treatment.

Strictures: Persistent, severe inflammation can cause scar tissue in the esophagus making it more narrow for food to pass through. A procedure called esophageal dilation is required to widen the passageway.

Barrett’s esophagus: The normal lining of the food pipe is damaged by chronic acid reflux and replaced with abnormal, precancerous cells, causing a small risk of esophageal cancer over time.

What type of doctor diagnoses and treats esophagitis?

Specializing in digestive system disorders, a gastroenterologist treats esophagitis. To diagnose esophagitis, the gastroenterologist performs a diagnostic test called an endoscopy to find the cause of inflammation in the esophagus. Once the cause is identified, the physician will develop a treatment plan to help the patient reduce the inflammation and irritation and educate the patient on the lifestyle changes needed to help them manage the condition.