Esophageal stricture (patient information): Difference between revisions
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==What are the Symptoms of Esophageal Stricture?== | ==What are the Symptoms of Esophageal Stricture?== | ||
* Trouble swallowing | |||
* Pain with swallowing | |||
* Unintentional weight loss | |||
* Regurgitation of food | |||
==What Causes Esophageal Stricture?== | ==What Causes Esophageal Stricture?== | ||
* Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). | |||
* Eosinophilic esophagitis. | |||
* Injuries caused by an endoscope. | |||
* Long-term use of a nasogastric (NG) tube (tube through the nose into the stomach). | |||
* Swallowing substances that harm the lining of the esophagus. These may include household cleaners, lye, disc batteries, or battery acid. | |||
* Treatment of esophageal varices. | |||
==Who is at Highest Risk?== | ==Who is at Highest Risk?== | ||
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==Diagnosis== | ==Diagnosis== | ||
* Barium swallow to look for narrowing of the esophagus | |||
* Endoscopy to look for narrowing of the esophagus | |||
==When to Seek Urgent Medical Care?== | ==When to Seek Urgent Medical Care?== | ||
Call your health care provider if you have swallowing problems that do not go away. | |||
==Treatment Options== | ==Treatment Options== | ||
Dilation (stretching) of the esophagus is the main treatment for acid reflux related strictures. You may need to have this treatment repeated after a period of time to prevent the stricture from narrowing again. | |||
Proton pump inhibitors (acid-blocking medicines) can keep a peptic stricture from returning. Surgery is rarely needed. | |||
If you have eosinophilic esophagitis, you may need to take medicines or make changes to your diet to reduce the inflammation. In some cases, dilation is done. | |||
==Where to find Medical Care for (Disease name)?== | ==Where to find Medical Care for (Disease name)?== | ||
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==Prevention== | ==Prevention== | ||
Use safety measures to avoid swallowing substances that can harm your esophagus. Keep dangerous chemicals out of the reach of children. See your provider if you have GERD. | |||
==What to Expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?== | ==What to Expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?== | ||
==Possible Complications== | ==Possible Complications== | ||
Swallowing problems may keep you from getting enough fluids and nutrients. Solid food, especially meat, can get stuck above the stricture. If this happens, endoscopy would be needed to remove the lodged food. | |||
There is also a higher risk of having food, fluid, or vomit enter the lungs with regurgitation. This can cause choking or aspiration pneumonia. | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
Revision as of 17:16, 2 November 2017
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here
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Esophageal stricture |
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Esophageal stricture On the Web |
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Overview
What are the Symptoms of Esophageal Stricture?
- Trouble swallowing
- Pain with swallowing
- Unintentional weight loss
- Regurgitation of food
What Causes Esophageal Stricture?
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).
- Eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Injuries caused by an endoscope.
- Long-term use of a nasogastric (NG) tube (tube through the nose into the stomach).
- Swallowing substances that harm the lining of the esophagus. These may include household cleaners, lye, disc batteries, or battery acid.
- Treatment of esophageal varices.
Who is at Highest Risk?
Diagnosis
- Barium swallow to look for narrowing of the esophagus
- Endoscopy to look for narrowing of the esophagus
When to Seek Urgent Medical Care?
Call your health care provider if you have swallowing problems that do not go away.
Treatment Options
Dilation (stretching) of the esophagus is the main treatment for acid reflux related strictures. You may need to have this treatment repeated after a period of time to prevent the stricture from narrowing again.
Proton pump inhibitors (acid-blocking medicines) can keep a peptic stricture from returning. Surgery is rarely needed.
If you have eosinophilic esophagitis, you may need to take medicines or make changes to your diet to reduce the inflammation. In some cases, dilation is done.
Where to find Medical Care for (Disease name)?
Medical care for esophageal stricture can be found here.
Prevention
Use safety measures to avoid swallowing substances that can harm your esophagus. Keep dangerous chemicals out of the reach of children. See your provider if you have GERD.
What to Expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible Complications
Swallowing problems may keep you from getting enough fluids and nutrients. Solid food, especially meat, can get stuck above the stricture. If this happens, endoscopy would be needed to remove the lodged food.
There is also a higher risk of having food, fluid, or vomit enter the lungs with regurgitation. This can cause choking or aspiration pneumonia.
Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/.htm