How dangerous is the development of reflux esophagitis

Reflux esophagitis is a chronic disease of the esophagus, in which it noted abnormal reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. It is important to realize how dangerous this disease is, because if untreated it can cause severe complications.

Factors

A disease such as reflux esophagitis, mainly develops due to disturbed operation of the lower esophageal sphincter due to loss of muscle tone. These reasons lead to the formation of minor hiatus lower esophageal sphincter that does not create difficulty to the ingress of stomach contents to the esophagus.

Provoke reflux esophagitis causes:

• constant neural overload and stress;
• the negative impact of chemical and food factors;
• the processes leading to increased intra-abdominal pressure;
• diaphragmatic hernia.

By the predisposing factors of reflux esophagitis include:

• frequent bending forward
• obesity,
• Smoking,
• the abuse of alcoholic drinks, spicy and fatty foods,
• pregnancy
• treatment some medicines,
• peptic ulcer disease.

In the presence of precipitating factors of reflux esophagitis even with a slight inclination to feel discomfort.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of reflux esophagitis – discomfort, burning, and heartburn after meals, after drinking coffee, alcoholic beverages, spices, fat and very hot food. Signs of reflux esophagitis are aggravated when bending forward and lying down.

Other signs of reflux esophagitis:

• the regurgitation, or air,
• discomfort during the meal that the evident sense of the passage of food throughout the esophagus.

Signs of reflux esophagitis progressing with the growth of the inflammatory process in the mucosa.

As can masquerade as a disease

Sometimes reflux esophagitis can be mistaken for other diseases:

• Diseases of the respiratory system: bronhoobstrukcia triggers the development of chronic cough, often at night. This can lead to the development of asthma, the debut which often occurs at night.
• Cardiovascular disease in adults: chest pain, similar to the manifestations of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction.
• ENT diseases: rhinitis, pharyngitis due to frequent contact of the mucosa from acidic stomach contents.
• Dental disease: hydrochloric acid can destroy tooth enamel, which creates conditions for tooth decay in adults and especially in children.

This can be attributed to unpleasantconsequences of reflux esophagitis, which complicate treatment because the therapy of diseases, associated with reflux esophagitis. To cure them does not work until, until you find and eliminate the underlying disease.

For diagnosis and

Reflux esophagitis for a long time can occur without causing clinical manifestations. The lack of effective treatment leads to rapid development of complications.

Diagnosis of reflux esophagitis begins with a visit to the doctor, who during the conversation said symptoms, their severity, duration, and time of development, feeding habits and triggers. Only then is the inspection and palpation of the abdomen.

Instrumental methods: esophagogastroduodenoscopy

You can then send the patient on additional inspection. The most informative is the fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy – introduction tube with a camera into the esophagus, the stomach and 12-duodenum.

Reflux esophagitis is characterized by erythematous mucosa and the detection of reflux during the diagnostic procedure.

Not everyone is willing to pass this examination because of unpleasant sensations during its implementation. But without the EGD the doctor can accurately put the correct diagnosis, and thus to cure the disease. Specialist can also take for histological examination a small amount of fabric, if there is suspicion of malignancy.

Other methods of diagnosis

X-ray examination using contrast agent helps:

• to obtain images reflecting the motility of the esophagus, scarring, strictures and a condition of the mucous membrane in the lower part;
• to visualize the moment of the pathological reflux of consumed contrast from the stomach into the esophagus.

Conduct daily pH-metry helps to accurately reflect fluctuations in acidity throughout the day with reflux esophagitis. Normal pH in the esophagus above the 4 – base environment. But with the development of reflux esophagitis, pH gradually decreases, which reflects the presence of acid. The lower indicators, the more aggressive the disease and harder for, regardless of the cause that provoked the onset of the disease.

Esophagomanometry needed to assess the contractility of the lower esophageal sphincter.

For exclusion of complications of reflux esophagitis from the side of other organs and systems, it is possible to pass EKG and x-rays of the chest.

Therapeutic approaches

Some believe that it is sufficient to take antacids to relieve heartburn and reflux can be cured. This is a misconception. How to treat reflux esophagitis, everyone will in detail tell doctor.title="Doctor" alt="Doctor">

Treatment of reflux esophagitis begins with eliminating the causes and precipitating factors. Medication medications help to neutralize the hydrochloric acid to protect the esophagus, increase muscle tone of the sphincter, prevent increased abdominal pressure. With the purpose of treatment using drugs of the following pharmacological groups:

• inhibitors of proton pump
• the histamine H2-receptors,
• antacids
• prokinetics.

Drugs have a protective and astringent action, which provides anti-inflammatory effect of the therapy.

To eliminate pain syndrome pain medications are assigned. Treatment can be supplemented with sedative drugs and multivitamins.

Reflux esophagitis may be complicated by a chronic cough, which trigger heartburn and acid regurgitation. To cure a chronic cough can be, if you cure the underlying disease – reflux esophagitis.

In the absence of effect from conservative therapy, the patient is recommended to consult with a surgeon.

Health food

Diet necessary to facilitate General condition and rapid recovery:

1. Diet requires limiting the ingestion of food, stimulating the formation of gases.
2. You need to completely avoid spicy, too hot and cold food.
3. When cooking do not use large amounts of spices.
4. Avoid overeating and eating late at night.

Diet will help to lose weight, small portions and frequent meals will reduce the clinical manifestations of reflux esophagitis.

Reflux in a child

Children also may develop reflux esophagitis. Its presence is accompanied by the following symptoms in infants:

• frequent regurgitation,
• the child is restless,
• a lag in weight gain.

But it is worth noting that up to a certain age in children, the presence of reflux is considered normal. He is saved from the moment of birth, but by 6 months of age it should not be. In some children it may persist up to 9-10 months of age, due to the individual characteristics of the development of children. In older children reflux esophagitis occurs as in adults with similar symptoms and complications.

The diagnosis of reflux esophagitis in children is difficult, since the main method is EGD, which is rather difficult to carry out. Many children with the introduction of fibroezofagogastroduodenoscopy through the throat develops vomiting, therefore, before the examination is carried out preparation of the patient.

Traditional medicine

Treatment of reflux esophagitis folk remedies are not ablepermanently cure the disease, but will help to reduce the symptoms of heartburn. Before the treatment of reflux esophagitis, it is recommended to choose the best option together with your doctor, because this treatment is sometimes complicated by the development of an allergic reaction to some components of medicinal herbs.

Folk medicine recommends the use of herbal preparations for the treatment of reflux esophagitis:

• 2 tsp mint and tarragon; 1 tsp of chamomile. Mix well, place in a container and pour boiling water in a volume of 1 L. to Insist 2 hours, strain and take 0.1 l before meals.
• Take in equal proportions: calendula, common anise, oregano, white dead-nettle, lemon balm, narrow-leaved fireweed, the root of Polygonum snake. All mix, pour boiling water, to insist 2 hours, strain. 1 – 50 ml.
• Fresh dandelion flowers put layers in a jar, sprinkling the sugar. Then slightly mash these to flowers released the juice to generate the syrup. On taking 1 tsp diluted in a glass of water, 3 times a day.

Remember that before using any of the popular drugs from reflux esophagitis should consult a doctor.