Introduction
The esophagus is a muscular tube responsible for carrying the food from mouth to stomach. There are many diseases of esophagus that can cause frustration and discomfort. A very common symptom experienced by many people is a burning sensation felt occasionally in their chest. This sensation is caused by the acid from the stomach that is refluxing into the esophagus. This disorder is in general named heartburn. A continuous exposure to the stomach acid can have a disastrous impact on the lining of the esophagus, with the probability to lead to serious diseases of esophagus, as for example the Barrett’s esophagus that is very common associates to a high risk of adenocarcinoma.
Diseases of esophagus are many, and the causes that are leading to these are depending on the type of disease and on the conditions that affected the esophagus. The most common diseases of esophagus are: esophagitis, esophagus cancer, esophageal artresia, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal varices, achalasia, but the list can continue with more others. Some esophageal diseases can come as result of a congenital condition, while others can be acquired during life time.
Causes
As it was mentioned above, the causes of diseases of esophagus are many, depending on the exact type of disease, or on the conditions that have lead to the present disorder. The following can be the main causes that can lead to an esophagus disease:
- congenital defects that are caused by development errors;
- the obesity and an advanced age;
- death of the nerve cells that are responsible with the control over the muscle that is enhancing the peristalsis, disorder that can lead to Achalasia;
- fungi that are causing infections of the esophagus;
- ingestion of chemicals substances that can cause the corrosive esophagitis;
- rhe radiation of the esophagus during radio therapies made for cancer;
- inflammatory conditions that can affect the pancreas, stomach or the gallbladder;
- smoking, that is one of the major causes of a esophagus disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms and the signs indicating an esophagus disease can be very similar, making more difficult for doctors to diagnose correctly a specific disease. One of the most common encountered symptoms is the heartburn, when the patient feels a sensation of burning inside. The acid reflux from the stomach is another symptom can be very dangerous, as if occurs during night time the regurgitate food can reach into the lungs, with the risk of causing an aspiration pneumonia. A painful swallowing should always be considered as an alarm signal, as well as any other unexpected pain, as the chest pain or any constant dull pain.
Treatment
The treatments applicable for diseases of esophagus are also depending on the exact diagnosis of the disease. A pharmacologic therapy can provide patients a relief of the symptoms, and in other situations the utilization of antidepressants, anti-reflux medicines, or muscle relaxants can help a lot. For treating the Achalasia, injections with botulium can be used with success. But depending on the gravity of the disease, the endoscopic therapy or the surgery could be the only solution.
