Recovery of the esophagus. Signs and treatment of inflammation of the esophagus. Foods and drinks to avoid

Inflammatory changes on the walls of the esophagus varying degrees gravity and depth are separate pathological form a disease called esophagitis.

This pathology can have several degrees of severity, and the treatment of esophagitis of the esophagus depends on the depth and extent of the process. Let's figure out how to treat esophagitis of the esophagus.

What is esophagitis

Before deciding whether esophagitis can be cured, it is worthwhile to find out several features of the course of the disease.

How much the patient subjectively suffers from manifestations of diseases directly depends on how deeply the walls of the esophagus are affected. It also depends on the area of distribution of inflammatory or ulcerative changes, in which part of the esophagus they are localized, what lifestyle the patient leads.

These features are already individual, but they unite various forms esophagitis symptoms:

Frequency of occurrence, severity clinical manifestations, their combination depends on the form of the disease and individual features patient. The doctor is guided by the same criterion when choosing tactics, method and means of treating esophagitis.

Many are wondering how to properly treat a disease such as esophagitis, and try to find reviews from other patients about their treatment. In fact, such reviews are not what patients should start correcting their condition with. Only a qualified specialist will help.

Treatment

First of all, inflammation of the esophagus is correctly diagnosed, treatment is the second stage. Only a specialist can make a diagnosis of inflammation of the esophageal mucosa after a thorough examination using fibrogastroscopy, contrast radiography, other methods of objective diagnostics, which the specialist deems necessary in each specific clinical case.

How to cure esophagitis permanently? It is necessary to treat inflammation of the esophagus in a complex way, using the entire arsenal of medical, surgical, folk and psychotherapeutic means.

But the most important principle in getting rid of this rather unpleasant, and in severe cases, a serious illness, is to eliminate the cause of sphincter weakness or irritant to the esophageal mucosa.

Organizational events

Finding out the cause of food entering the esophagus that has already been exposed of hydrochloric acid or the presence of other factors that cause inflammation - this is milestone to alleviate the patient's condition.

To start the treatment of inflammation of the esophagus with a simple one - it is necessary to eliminate all irritants that have a detrimental effect on the mucous membrane of the esophagus:

smoking;
alcoholic drinks;
strong tea and coffee;
carbonated drinks, especially on artificial sweeteners;
hot and cold dishes;
fatty, salty, fried, pickled foods;
stress;
excessive physical activity;
taking medications that relax the sphincter of the stomach.

After eating, it is necessary to stay upright for some time to prevent food from entering the lower third of the esophagus. Before going to bed, you should not eat, you can only about one and a half to two hours.

It is necessary to observe a break between food and physical activity, immediately after eating, you can not do oblique or flexion movements. For women prone to heartburn, you should follow the recommendation to wear belts that do not tighten the waist.

Medical therapy

In parallel with organizational measures, it is necessary to start targeted use pharmacological preparations. Only a qualified doctor can adequately select the prescription of drugs and the appropriate scheme. Self-medication in such cases is fraught with the development of complications and chronicization of the process, that is, it is not worth choosing a medicine for esophagitis on your own.

Appoint antacids(acid-reducing) drugs. There are several types of them: fast action and non-absorbable from the surface of the mucous membrane.

The former act quickly, are indicated for use in emergency cases, with the impossibility of systematic treatment. These funds include, for example, such representatives of this group as Rennie, Gastal.

From the second group, almagel, phosphalugel are usually prescribed, since in addition to the enveloping and acid-reducing effect, they have an analgesic effect. These drugs can be used for a long time, while non-absorbable antacids can only be used once, in emergency cases.

The second group are inhibitors proton pump: omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole. They reduce production gastric juice, thereby contributing to a decrease in the total acidity of gastric contents.

The course of treatment for esophagitis continues long time, up to several months, therefore, the initial dosage and its adjustment throughout the course of therapy is done only by the attending physician based on the results of monitoring the patient's condition and methods of objective diagnostics.

Mandatory group of drugs for prescription in complex treatment esophagitis are blockers histamine receptors. The most famous among them are ranitidine, famotidine. The treatment regimen has been well established for many years, giving good clinical results.

The modern approach to treatment involves the appointment prokinetics- enhancers motor activity stomach. These are the representatives Motilium, Ganaton, Itopyride. The combination, doses and emphasis on any group of drugs depend on the dominant symptoms, the form of esophagitis, the depth and severity of the process.

Rebagit with esophagitis is taken because it improves the blood supply to the gastric mucosa, activates its barrier function and has other effects.

As you can see, many are prescribed drugs for the diagnosis of "esophagitis", the treatment in this case is the most effective.

All treatment regimens are designed for several administration options, since esophagitis is not treatable immediately. It is necessary to periodically repeat the drugs, however, the duration, frequency of their use is regulated by the patient's condition.

When ulcerative esophagitis is diagnosed, treatment also involves taking some of the above drugs.

Herbs are brewed with boiling water, infused for about 30-40 minutes. You need to take half a glass before meals to increase the tone of the stomach and improve the digestion process.

Physiotherapeutic procedures also have a beneficial effect on the tone of the stomach and the condition of the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Their appointment is indicated in the stage of remission, in the absence of acute, inflammatory phenomena.

Control of treatment should be periodically carried out not only according to the subjective state of the patient, but with the help of fibrogastroscopy. Immediately becomes topical issue- How often can FGDS be done with esophagitis? It must be done at least 2-3 times during the course of treatment, especially in the case of a persistent inflammatory process.

With help therapeutic exercises you can strengthen the diaphragm so that it does not put pressure on the sphincter of the stomach. Such complexes of physiotherapy exercises are prescribed by doctors - rehabilitologists who will help them to perform them correctly, control the effectiveness of the measures.

Thanks to the information provided, it certainly became clear and obvious how to treat inflammation of the esophagus.

Inflammation of the esophagus, or esophagitis, can cause a person to have a mass unpleasant symptoms and pain.

This article will discuss in detail what provokes inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, how this disease manifests itself, and how to properly treat it.

The main causes that can provoke inflammation of the esophageal mucosa are:

Flu.
Diphtheria.
Burn of the esophagus.
Chemical burn of the esophagus (accidental intake of gasoline, acetone, acid, etc.),
infectious diseases.
Improper nutrition (eating too spicy or sour food, drinking alcohol).
Smoking.
Increased blood pressure.
Taking medications that can disturb the acidity in the stomach.
addicting too hot food.
Unfavorable working conditions associated with the inhalation of toxic chemical substances.
Prolonged intoxication(poisoning) of the body.
Allergy to food.
Problems with digestion.
Gastroesophageal reflux or, which damages the lining of the esophagus and causes inflammation.
Herpes virus.
AIDS.
Physical damage to the esophagus.

Symptoms of inflammation of the esophagus

Inflammation in the esophagus is expressed by the following symptoms:

Frequent nausea and vomiting.
Strong.
Pain in the throat.
Sensation of something stuck in the throat.
Pain when swallowing.
Pain when eating hot or too cold foods.
Increased salivation.
Burning sensation in the throat area.

Also, with inflammation of the esophagus, a person can often experience herpes and stomatitis (mouth ulcers). This happens due to a sharp decrease in immunity and infection.

Medical treatment

Therapy against inflammation of the esophagus is primarily aimed at eliminating acute pain at the patient. To do this, he is prescribed various antacids, which have a pronounced gentle and enveloping effect. healing effect(Almagel, Vikaira, Vikalin, Enteros gel).

You need to take these drugs 4-5 times a day thirty minutes before meals, until acute heartburn and pain in the esophagus stop. As a rule, the duration of such treatment should be at least ten days.

In addition to the above groups of drugs, with severe esophagitis, the attending physician may prescribe H2-histamine blockers, vitamins and drugs that improve the regeneration of the damaged esophageal mucosa.

If the inflammation was caused by poisoning, then the patient is prescribed sorbents. He is also advised to wash his stomach.

If esophagitis is caused by infections, then the patient is prescribed antibiotics.

In addition, during the treatment of inflammation of the esophagus, it is necessary to adhere to the following recommendations:

Don't overeat.
Do not eat three hours before bedtime.
Perform physical therapy.
Observe strict diet(table number 1).

Completely eliminate the following foods from your diet:

carbonated drinks;
sweets, cakes, pastries and other sweets;
smoked meats;
sausages;
coffee;
garlic;
tomatoes;
margarine and butter;
semi-finished products;
fried food;
fried food;
pepper;
fatty meats and fish;
milk;
salty food;
conservation;
jam;
salo.

The basis of the diet should be such products:

porridge on the water;
jelly;
yogurt and low-fat kefir;
vegetable stew;
steamed meat and fish;
vegetable soups.

Folk remedies or how to relieve inflammation of the esophagus

Treatment of inflammation of the esophagus folk methods effective with the following recipes:

Potato treatment. To do this, grate a few raw potatoes on a fine grater and squeeze out the liquid from the resulting mass. Ready juice (2-3 tablespoons) you need to drink in one gulp and eat it with a teaspoon of sugar. This will help get rid of the burning sensation in the chest.
Tea treatment. It is best to use chamomile, mint and raspberry tea. They need to be brewed immediately before taking. Drink - twenty minutes before a meal.
Dill recipe to relieve inflammation in the esophagus. To prepare it, you need to take two teaspoons of dill seeds and crush them in a mortar. Pour a glass of boiling water and insist for two hours. Take one tablespoon three times a day before meals.
Jerusalem artichoke remedy. To prepare it, you need to grate a couple of tubers of this vegetable on a fine grater. Mix with 1 grated apple and take a tablespoon twice a day.
Herbal remedy:

take a teaspoon of crushed oak bark;
a tablespoon of crushed leaves walnut;
1 st. l. hypericum colors.

Pour this collection into 3 glasses cold water and insist for three hours. After this, the product must be filtered and brought to a boil. Take two tablespoons twenty minutes before meals.

You also need to sleep on a high pillow so that stomach acid does not rise up the esophagus and cause heartburn.

Prevention of inflammation of the esophagus

In order to prevent such unpleasant disease, as esophagitis, the following recommendations should be observed:

Give up smoking.
Minimize or completely eliminate alcohol consumption.
Eat right (the menu should not include too spicy or fatty foods).
Watch your weight (obesity can lead to problems with the esophagus).
Do not wear too tight clothes and belts.
Do not lift heavy objects weighing more than 10 kg.
Avoid overeating and "night" meals.
Eat at the same time in small portions, observing the regimen.
Eat slowly, chewing your food thoroughly.
Timely diagnose and treat diseases that can provoke inflammation of the esophagus (flu, diphtheria, herpes, etc.).
Do not self-medicate and do not take medical preparations without a doctor's prescription, as they can cause problems not only with the esophagus, but also with pressure, digestion, etc.

Anton Palaznikov

Gastroenterologist, therapist

Work experience more than 7 years.

Professional skills: diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system.

Every person from birth is accustomed to constantly have breakfast, lunch, dinner, because without food a person cannot live. If you do not take into account food lovers sunlight and fans of spiritual food, the process of getting food into the body is the same for all mammals. The esophagus is the only organ through which food naturally enters the stomach. Like the whole body, it is susceptible to diseases, for example, such as. To commit right action in case of its damage, it is necessary to know the causes of diseases, how to properly treat the esophagus, contraindications in treatment, how to prevent the development of the disease.

To understand the process of getting food into the stomach, consider the structure of the esophagus and its location.

The esophagus is a hollow flattened tube muscle tissue to deliver food from the pharynx to the stomach, being part of. The organ consists of the cervical (4-7 cm), thoracic (16-20 cm) and abdominal (3-5 cm) sections.

In an adult, the esophagus has a length of 23-27 cm. The structure of the organ wall is a layered "pie" of vascular, muscular, submucosal and. The muscular layer combines the circulation layer inside and the longitudinal layer outside. Food moves from the esophagus to the stomach when the lumen opens in only one direction. Influence of external and internal causes leads to organ disease. What changes need to be taken into account?

Symptoms, types of disease, treatment of diseases of the esophagus

General symptoms

The main symptoms of the changes that have begun are belching, heartburn, bad smell from the mouth, pain when swallowing, discomfort in the body. Basic negative reason is a violation of motility - the ability of the muscles of the esophagus to push food, which is associated with damage to blood vessels and the growth of neoplasms. This can pose a great threat to health and life.

Types of diseases

Mechanical damage

Mechanical damage- most common cause injury to the esophagus, in which the mucous membrane of the walls is disturbed.

Depending on the severity of the symptom, the patient's general condition worsens, blood clots while eating, there are severe pains when swallowing. All three parts of the esophagus are affected by injury.

The reasons are:

Hits from the larynx foreign objects.
Infliction of gunshot, stab, torn, cut wounds.

Depending on the severity, surgery is indicated or conservative treatment.

Important! Mechanical damage is the reason for an urgent call for emergency medical care.

Burns of various origins

Burns of the esophagus are chemical and thermal. A chemical burn occurs as a result of the destruction of the mucosa by strong acids and alkalis, after they enter the digestive tract. Drinking very hot liquids or food leads to thermal burns.

The reasons are children's curiosity, accidental use of aggressive substances with food, inattention. Depending on the degree of the burn of the esophagus, severe pain may appear with poisoning of the body, nausea, fever and organ failure.

Before starting treatment for a chemical burn, it is necessary to flush the stomach to remove chemicals from the esophagus. After neutralization of chemical residues, procedures are prescribed that improve the patient's condition.

Severe burns of 2nd and 3rd degrees with damage to all layers or only the submucosal layer are treated only in a hospital.

Paralysis and spasms of the esophagus

Paralysis, spasms of the esophagus lead to a violation of muscle tone, causing dysphagia - difficulty in drinking, swallowing food. Often occurs aspiration pneumonia- entry of the contents of the stomach or nasopharynx into the lower respiratory tract.

The cause of occurrence is emotional stress, the occurrence of inflammation as a result of contact foreign body into the esophagus. Diphtheria, alcoholism, intoxication from botulism contribute to the development of the disease.

Treatment consists of psychological support and removal emotional tension removal of a foreign object.

Cardiospasm (achalasia)

As a result of this disease, food does not enter the stomach due to incomplete opening or blockage of the lower esophageal sphincter. Cardiospasm is determined by the inability to swallow food, regurgitation, muscle pain from a full esophagus increased salivation. AT advanced cases diseases can cause the growth of cancerous tumors.

The reasons are psycho-emotional stress, developmental anomalies.

AT initial stage Achalasia is treated with drugs that improve the movement of food through the esophagus. More effective is the expansion of a narrow section using a special balloon. With thinning of the wall of the esophagus and the danger of its rupture, surgical intervention is used.

Hernia of the diaphragm of the esophagus

At congenital anomalies or acquired damage occurs. Internal abdominal organs move to chest cavity as a result of diaphragm defects, which ultimately leads to hidden bleeding, anemia.

Conservative treatment is used to eliminate the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Expansion of the esophagus, elimination of bleeding, inefficiency drug treatment corrected by surgery.

Ulcer

Perforation of the wall of the esophagus as a result of the action of gastric juice on it is defined as an esophageal ulcer. An ulcer can be true (peptic) or indeterminate (symptomatic).

The causes of occurrence are determined by the action of gastric juice on the esophagus, stress, the influence of chemical and drug preparations.

In the initial stage, it is effective to combine drug treatment with diet. With absence positive results surgery is applied.

Tumor formation

Neoplasms, or tumors, in the digestive system are divided into benign and malignant (cancerous). The most common benign lesion, leiomyoma, affects the smooth muscle of the esophagus.

lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma - cancerous tumors that grow in any part of the esophagus.

Reasons for the appearance:

DNA mutation.
Very hot food.
Smoking, alcohol abuse.
Low content in the diet of greens, fruits.
Lots of pickled foods.

Treatment of tumors in 98% of cases is performed surgically. Parallel chemotherapy procedures with compliance special diet increase the efficiency of recovery by 3-5 times.

Diagnosis of diseases of the esophagus

Techniques and methods for diagnosing diseases of the digestive tract depend on the quality of the patient's interview and the identification of all symptoms. During the examination, hardware methods are used, using a probe with catheters or balloons.

To determine the spasm of the muscles of the esophagus and its deformation is used x-ray examination, if necessary, used contrast agent, barium salts. To identify a violation of the lower esophageal sphincter helps internal PH-metry with the determination of the degree of acidity of the environment.

Choice of treatment method

With a disease of the digestive tract, you can do without surgery, curing it at the time of its inception. In addition, it is necessary to take into account accompanying illnesses which make it impossible to use certain types treatment. Self-treatment at home is contraindicated, a medical diagnosis and a professional choice of treatment method are required.

Methods of treatment

Conservative treatment with antispasmodic, sedative, drugs, medications with enveloping properties that reduce the concentration of gastric juice.
Expansion of the narrow places of the esophagus with the use of air balloons.
Application surgical intervention in the detection of esophageal cancer, late stages the development of the disease.
Usage radiotherapy, chemotherapy.

A significant role in the recovery of the patient is played by the combination of diet and a special diet.

Prevention and diet in the treatment of the esophagus

To prevent and prevent diseases, it is necessary to normalize your weight. During sleep, a pillow is needed on a high head of the bed, which helps prevent food from being thrown into the esophagus.

Fractional intake of small portions of food with thorough chewing relieves muscle tone and facilitates the flow of food to the stomach.

The consistency of the food should be homogeneous, heated to body temperature. It is useful to use porridge. Healing is the use of sea buckthorn, olive oil, which is taken in small portions on an empty stomach. Reception and digestion of food while standing is recommended when gastric juice is thrown into the esophagus. In case of exacerbation, it is necessary to switch to daily fasting with medicinal mineral water.

Important! The choice of diet and diet must be agreed with the attending physician.

Similarity of symptoms of esophageal disease with gastric disorders, heart pains, lung diseases allows them to skillfully disguise themselves as third-party diseases. Disregard for discomfort digestive tract, unwillingness to comply with the diet, lack of constant physical activity- direct path to the operating table. Often, this is a one-way trip. Which way to go is up to you.

Anton Palaznikov

Gastroenterologist, therapist

Work experience more than 7 years.

Professional skills: diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system.

Inflammation of the esophagus, or esophagitis, is a disease in which the lining of a person's esophagus is affected.

It can happen on the most different reasons.

Consider in more detail the symptoms of inflammation of the esophagus and methods of treatment this disease.

Inflammation of the esophagus: causes

Usually inflammation of the esophagus develops for the following reasons:

1. Acute infectious lesions respiratory system, intestines (influenza, SARS, fungal infection, diphtheria, etc.).

2. Injury to the mucosa during its diagnosis.

3. Damage to the esophagus when foreign objects enter it.

4. Thermal or chemical burn of the mucosa.

5. Inflammation as a result of the development of an allergic reaction to a food product.

6. Drinking excessively hot or spicy food.

7. The use of strong alcoholic beverages, which made the mucosa burn and caused inflammation.

8. Work related to inhalation harmful vapors and dust.

9. The development of inflammation as a result of the accumulation of food debris (it happens when various violations in the work of the stomach).

10. Avitaminosis (acute deficiency useful substances and trace elements in the body).

11. Prolonged intoxication of the body.

12. Colitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that are not treated.

13. Inflammation of the esophagus as a result of the influence of certain medicines.

14. Gastritis.

15. Hit digestive juice into the esophagus, which irritates the mucosa and causes inflammation.

Inflammation of the esophagus: symptoms and signs

Esophagitis has two forms of course: acute and chronic.

Acute inflammation The esophagus has the following symptoms:

1. The appearance of an acute pain syndrome, which is localized in the chest area and gives to the neck, back and shoulder blades. In this case, the pain itself can be so severe that a person will not be able to sleep and eat.

2. Increased salivation.

3. Severe heartburn, which is not eliminated various drugs from given symptom.

4. Violation of swallowing.

5. Weakness.

6. Loss of appetite.

7. Irritability.

8. In more severe cases, the patient may vomit blood.

9. With the progression of the disease and severe pain, a person may experience a state of shock.

Chronic esophagitis has the following features of the course:

1. The patient observes frequent heartburn, which occurs when eating fatty, spicy or hot food. Heartburn also occurs when overeating.

2. Belching.

3. Nausea.

4. Violation of digestion.

5. Wave-like course of the disease with periods of exacerbations.

6. The formation of scars on the mucosa of the inflamed esophagus occurs if the disease is not treated for several months of its course. In this condition, the patient will need a longer and more complex therapy.

7. Often, chronic esophagitis contributes to the development of respiratory disorders. Thus, the patient may develop asthma and pneumonia.

8. Pain in chest and behind. The nature of the pain is aching, not very pronounced.

Inflammation of the esophagus: diagnosis and treatment features

If you suspect esophagitis, you should contact a gastroenterologist. After the initial examination and palpation of the abdomen, the doctor will prescribe such mandatory diagnostic procedures:

1. General clinical tests blood and urine.

2. Endoscopic biopsy.

3. Radiography of the esophagus.

Treatment of inflammation of the esophagus is selected for each patient individually, depending on the form of the pathology, its cause and general condition sick.

Traditional Therapy at acute esophagitis has the following features:

1. If a chemical burn has become the cause of inflammation of the esophagus, then the patient urgently needs to rinse the stomach and esophagus in order to cleanse the mucosa from the aggressive component.

2. Appointed vitamin complexes.

3. In the first two days of treatment, it is advisable for the patient to completely refuse to eat in order to give time to the esophagus to "rest" and once again not irritate it with food.

4. In the acute course of the disease, the use of Famotidine is indicated.

5. During further treatment the patient must follow a strict diet. It provides complete failure from fatty, smoked, fried and spicy. Also, the patient should not drink alcohol and smoke.

The basis of the diet should be soft dishes, steamed or boiled. Rough food should be ground in a blender.

6. In case of severe intoxication of the body, the introduction of special detoxification solutions is prescribed.

7. When infectious lesion esophagus antibiotics are used a wide range actions.

8. If the disease is accompanied by the formation of an ulcer, then the doctor should prescribe analgesics for pain in this condition. While doing the washing digestive system the patient cannot.

9. The patient should sleep on a high pillow so that the neck is elevated. This will reduce pain and heartburn.

10. For heartburn, anti-inflammatory drugs and medicines are used that lower the acidity of the digestive juice.

Treatment chronic inflammation The esophagus has the following features:

1. The patient needs to reconsider his diet and enrich it with fiber, protein products, as well as fermented milk products. The use of sweet, salty, smoked and spicy is strictly prohibited. It is best if the new menu is agreed with the attending physician.

2. The patient is shown taking drugs that have positive influence to the tone of the esophagus. Usually, sedative drugs and prostaglandins are used for this.

3. Antacids are indicated to reduce the acidity of gastric juice. They need to be taken for at least two months, alternating several drugs at once.

4. Pain medications are prescribed for pain. You can also use analgesics in the form of gels. They are great for painful swallowing, as well as pain when eating.

In addition to drug therapy, with chronic inflammation of the esophagus, physiotherapy can be practiced. It provides for the following procedures:

1. Treatment with mud.

2. Physiotherapy.

3. Electrophoresis.

It's important to know, that with the development of bleeding and other complications, physiotherapy cannot be carried out. In this condition, the patient is advised to re-examine as soon as possible and, if necessary, perform surgical intervention.

Usually, when the condition worsens, plastic surgery of the esophagus or its resection is done. The recovery period after surgical interventions usually is 2-3 months.

Inflammation of the esophagus: treatment, prevention, complications

If you don't make it on time medical therapy with inflammation of the esophagus, the patient may experience such complications in the state:

1. Abscess is common complication from untreated esophagitis.

2. Stenosis of the esophagus may be accompanied by a violation of the passage of food into the stomach and a sharp decrease in the patient's body weight.

3. Perforation. This complication very dangerous, so it requires immediate surgical intervention.

4. Barrett's disease is the so-called pre-cancerous condition, which, if left untreated, can degenerate into an oncological pathology.

5. An esophageal ulcer usually develops in advanced cases. It leads to shortening of the walls of the esophagus and the appearance of rough scars in it.

To prevent the development of esophagitis, you should adhere to the following rules of prevention:

1. Avoid eating excessively spicy, hot and fatty foods.

2. Regularly conduct a preventive examination by a doctor.

3. Timely treat those diseases that can lead to the development of inflammation of the esophagus.

4. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and do not delay the diagnosis.

5. Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.

6. When working in harmful conditions be sure to wear a protective mask.

7. Avoid foods that may appeal allergic reaction. It is also advisable to periodically drink a course antihistamines so that when possible allergies her symptoms were less pronounced.

At timely diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis for esophagitis is quite favorable. If the patient's condition was started, he developed intra-abdominal bleeding, stenosis or other complications, then in this case the chances of a full recovery will decrease dramatically.

Inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis) mucous membrane esophagus, which is different severe pain in the sternum area, problems with swallowing, increased production saliva.

The disease can have a variety of complications, which is why it is so important to detect inflammation in time and treat it. So, what are the signs and symptoms of the disease and how is it treated?

Features of the disease

In this disease, inflammation affects inner surface mucosa of the esophagus, and when the disease worsens, it penetrates into the deeper layers of the integument of the organ.

Esophagitis among diseases of the esophagus is the most common, and in 30-40% of cases it occurs without any obvious symptoms.

Inflammation of the esophageal mucosa can be acute and chronic.

Acute damage to the esophagus is divided into 3 degrees:

superficial damage without ulcers and erosions;
damage to the mucosa throughout its thickness, with ulcerative and necrotic areas;
damage to the submucosal layers with severe defects, perforation of the walls of the esophagus, which may be accompanied by bleeding.

The chronic form of the disease develops in 4 stages:

hyperemia of the organ without erosion in distant parts;
small erosive damage to the cover of the organ;
erosion increases and merges;
the mucosa is covered with ulcers, stenosis of the organ occurs.

If treatment was not started on time, the following complications may begin:

peptic ulcer, in which the walls of the organ appear deep violations, rough scars and shortening of the organ;
stenosis (narrowing) of the lumen of the organ, which makes it difficult for food to pass through the esophagus, and the patient's weight is noticeably reduced;
perforation (perforation) of the walls of the organ, which requires an urgent surgical operation;
purulent complications of inflammation, if the esophagus was damaged by some foreign object;
Barrett's disease is a precancerous condition in which the esophagus degenerates.

Causes of the disease

Doctors call the following reasons disease development:

infection of the esophagus with influenza, diphtheria and other diseases;
damage to the cover of the physical (burn, trauma with a probe, etc.) and chemical (caustic substances, vapors) characters;
gastritis;
the ingestion of digestive juice into the esophagus, in which inflammation also affects the stomach;
allergic reactions to various foods.

The most severe cases of the disease occur with chemical burns, since the treatment of such forms of the disease is extremely complicated.

Chronic inflammation also has its causes:

regular consumption of spicy and hot foods, strong alcoholic beverages - alimentary esophagitis;
work in a hazardous enterprise, during which you have to constantly breathe caustic hazardous substances, – professional form;
when reacting to food components - an allergic form;
problems with the movement of food from the esophagus to the stomach, which causes congestive inflammation;
prolonged poisoning of the body with aggressive substances;
doctors also distinguish chronic inflammation with an unexplained etiology.

Symptoms of the disease directly depend on the form of the disease. In addition, the causes and symptoms of the disease also determine the method of treatment.

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of the disease depend on the nature of the course of the disease. In acute lesions of the mucous membranes, the symptoms depend on the strength of the inflammatory process.

With catarrhal inflammation, the symptoms of the disease are usually not expressed, only from time to time the organ becomes sensitive to excessively cold or hot food.

Severe forms of the disease usually have pronounced symptoms - usually burning pain in the area of the sternum, which is given to the back and neck, problems with swallowing, heartburn, salivation.

In very severe cases of the disease, patients are tormented by vomiting with blood, the condition sometimes reaches shock.

Often severe course the disease is replaced by a period of calm, when the symptoms subside a little, and the patient can eat solid food.

But if the treatment is ignored, then after a few weeks or months the walls of the organ will become covered with scars, stenosis will form, swallowing will be disturbed, food will move in the opposite direction along the esophagus (food regurgitation).

Chronic inflammation has its own symptoms. This is usually heartburn, in which the patient feels a burning sensation in the chest area.

Most often, heartburn is felt more strongly after fatty and spicy food, coffee, soda, also symptoms become more pronounced when overeating.

In addition to heartburn, other symptoms may be present: sour belching with bile impurities, reverse movement of food, breathing problems, laryngospasm, pneumonia, asthma.

Chronic inflammation is often accompanied by pain in the sternum that radiates to the back and neck. The symptom is usually mild.

Clearly severe symptoms diseases usually make it easier to diagnose pain symptoms quite specific and characteristic. By questioning the patient, you can also find out the cause of the disease.

Confirm provisional diagnosis a doctor can be done with the help of endoscopy of the esophagus, in which the condition of the mucosa is visualized. Endoscopy is performed no earlier than 6 days after the onset of symptoms.

In addition, X-ray helps to identify changes in the contours of the organ, ulcers, edema, accumulation of mucus, and esophagomanometry reveals a violation of the organ's motility.

How is the treatment going?

Treatment of acute and chronic inflammation includes drug therapy, diet and treatment folk remedies.

If the inflammation is caused chemical burn, then in urgently doctors wash the patient's stomach to remove the aggressive agent from the body.

At mild form illness, the patient should refuse food for the first 2 days, the doctor prescribes antacids and Famotidine.

A further diet excludes products that are aggressive for the mucous membrane of the organ - hot, spicy, rough dishes, alcohol.

Also, the diet excludes foods that provoke the production of digestive juice - fatty foods, chocolate.

If the disease is severe, then the diet should be very strict. Doctors often recommend that enteral nutrition should be avoided altogether.

In case of intoxication, detoxification is prescribed with special solutions, and in case of infection, antibiotics are prescribed.

At ulcerative inflammation with pronounced pains, the doctor prescribes anesthesia, and washing the digestive system in this case is prohibited.

If antibiotics do not cope with foci purulent lesion, the doctors carry out sanitation. Besides, surgical treatment carried out in cases where the body is not amenable to dilatation.

In the treatment of chronic inflammation, the patient's diet and lifestyle play a huge role. The diet during the period of exacerbation should include soft pureed food at a pleasant temperature. The diet excludes aggressive foods, alcohol.

In addition, the patient's diet should not contain food with great content fiber. The diet excludes eating one and a half to two hours before bedtime, and you can’t lie down immediately after eating or bend over.

You need to sleep in an elevated position, do not tighten your waist.

Drug therapy for inflammation of the esophagus includes drugs that reduce the acidity of the digestive juice, as well as drugs that increase the tone of the organ and accelerate the movement of food.

In some cases, doctors suggest treating inflammation with folk remedies. First of all, the treatment is carried out with the help of oregano infusion.

For this recipe, 1 tbsp. l. herbs are poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. Such treatment with folk remedies should be carried out 3 times a day before a snack.

Also used for esophagitis next treatment folk remedies: 30 g of oak bark, 40 g of walnut leaves, 40 g of St. John's wort, 20 g of oregano, 30 g of cinquefoil root are mixed, crushed and 2 tbsp. l. the mixture is poured with three glasses of raw water for 3 hours. Then the liquid is boiled for 5 minutes, taking a quarter cup before or after a meal.

You can treat the disease with such folk remedies: 30 g of oregano, 20 g of alder, 10 g of burnet, 40 g of violet are mixed. 1 st. l. collection pour 1.5 tbsp. boiling water and insist. Treatment with such folk recipes should be done 3 times a day.

Before treating a disease with folk remedies, you should definitely consult a doctor who will determine the appropriateness of such treatment.