Esophagus
As many as one in five patients who are rushed to the hospital with chest pain may have diseases of the esophagus, not heart trouble - Dr. Huw Alban Davies
image by: Esophagus Attack
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The Damage of Reflux (Bile, Not Acid)
In describing an instance of intense anger, you might say, as a figure of speech, that bile rose in your throat. But for some people bile does indeed rise, perhaps not as far as the throat but far enough to cause digestive distress and serious damage to the lining of the stomach and esophagus.
The symptoms are similar to heartburn, and many sufferers are told they have gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as acid reflux. Yet treatment with popular remedies for acid reflux, like the acid-suppressing proton-pump inhibitors Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium, fails to work or gives only partial relief.
Resources
Chest Pain Study Cites Diseases of Esophagus
As many as one in five patients who are rushed to the hospital with chest pain may have diseases of the esophagus, not heart trouble...
Esophageal Motility and Esophagitis
Motility Disorders and Esophagitis are must-know esophageal pathologies are NOT inherently malignant (cancerous), but may be associated with increased risk for malignancy.
Nutcracker Esophagus: This Rare Condition Can Feel Like A Heart Attack
This vivid name describes what happens when the muscles in your food pipe (esophagus) go into overdrive. Normally, these muscles contract with a regular coordinated rhythm, moving food smoothly from the mouth to the stomach. It’s so coordinated, you barely notice it.
Hard to swallow: the problem with taking too many antacids
We eat millions of indigestion tablets every year, which would be perfectly safe if we took them correctly. But we don’t.
As Acid Reflux Cases Rise, Doctors Are Asking Why
Although researchers have yet to understand fully what causes reflux, they do know it is not uncommon, and its incidence appears to be rising.
Colic, or Gastroesophageal Reflux: Over-Diagnosed and Over-Treated
The consequences of current treatments for the disease, which occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, outweigh the benefits.
Esophagus: Facts, Functions & Diseases
If the mouth is the gateway to the body, then the esophagus is a highway for food and drink to travel along to make it to the stomach. This body part has a very simple function, but can have many disorders.
New insights into the surgical anatomy of the esophagus
The esophagus requires sphincters to prevent air and liquid uncontrollably being sucked into the esophagus due to the negative intrathoracic pressure. In the neck the upper esophageal sphincter is found, which is the caudal part of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor, located at the pharynx-esophagus transition. The lower esophageal sphincter is the part of the esophageal musculature at the level of the diaphragm up to the stomach which is able to generate a higher pressure. It serves as a functional sphincter and cannot be distinguished morphologically. Its sphincteric action is reinforced by the right crus of the diaphragm which envelops the esophagus and contracts during inspiration, thereby serving as an external sphincter.
The Anatomy of the Esophagus
The esophagus is not simply a conduit to allow passage of food and drink from the mouth to the stomach. It is an intensely complex part of the gastrointestinal tract.
The Esophagus: Anatomy, Physiology, and Diseases
Primary symptoms of underlying esophageal disorders, most often due to mechanical or motility disturbance, include heartburn, dysphagia, odynophagia, and regurgitation.
The Hidden Dangers of Heartburn
Few health problems are as ubiquitous as heartburn. An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from it every month; about 15 million battle it at least once a day. In fact, heartburn is so common that most people don't worry about it.
What are Some Common Disorders of the Esophagus?
In general, acid reflux impacts around one-third of adults, and the chronic allergic inflammatory disease eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) impacts about 1 in 2,000 individuals. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can impact one out of every six adults, according to the Dysphagia Research Society.
When Swallowing Food Becomes a Problem
Whenever she ate solid food, it seemed to stick in her chest and not go down. The symptom is called dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, and it is a surprisingly common problem, especially among people over 50. But what was the cause? Other symptoms -- including dry eyes, dry mouth and teeth that mysteriously rotted and broke -- were important clues leading to a diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome, one of dozens of disorders that can make swallowing solids or liquids a problem.
The Damage of Reflux (Bile, Not Acid)
Misdiagnosis of bile reflux and failure to control it can result in serious, sometimes life-threatening problems stomach ulcers that bleed and Barrett’s esophagus, a possible precursor to esophageal cancer. Yet misdiagnosis is common, and even when the condition is properly identified, doctors are often fatalistic about its management.
The Oesophagus
The oesophagus is a fibromuscular tube, approximately 25cm in length, that transports food from the pharynx to the stomach. It originates at the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage (C6) and extends to the cardiac orifice of the stomach.
Benign Diseases of the Esophagus
Many patients with benign esophageal conditions can be treated with minimally invasive laparascopic or thoracoscopic procedures, which allow patients to have a significantly quicker recovery and return to function.
Disorders of the Esophagus
Examples of motility disorders of the esophagus... include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), dysphagia, achalasia, and functional chest pain.
Esophageal Disorders (Pediatric)
Esophageal disorders are rare and complex conditions. Each child’s treatment process will vary depending on the individual diagnosis, severity, and other medical criteria.
StatPearls
Physiological problems at the level of the esophagus are most likely perceived as dysphagia or difficulty swallowing. Esophageal motility disorders, as well as obstructive esophageal lesions, impair the physiology of the esophagus and lead to a perceived sensation of dysphagia.
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