Diseases of the esophagus can cause difficulty or painful swallowing, and can be caused by mechanical blockages, muscle issues, tumors, or acid reflux. Acid reflux can lead to inflammation, ulcers, and Barrett’s esophagus, which can increase the risk of cancer. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery. Esophageal cancer is most common in men who smoke and drink, and symptoms may not appear until the disease is advanced. Achalasia is another esophageal condition that can increase the risk of cancer and requires treatment with medication, surgery, or stretching of the esophagus.
The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach, and diseases that affect it generally lead to people having difficulty swallowing or having painful swallowing. Diseases of the esophagus can involve mechanical blockage, caused by a foreign body, bleeding from a tear or ruptured vein, or injury due to the ingestion of harmful substances such as acids. Diseases can affect the esophageal muscles, preventing normal swallowing. Tumors, which can sometimes be cancerous, can grow in or around the esophagus. Some esophageal abnormalities are present from birth, while other diseases develop gradually later in life, such as inflammation of the esophagus that occurs when acid repeatedly backs up from the stomach.
Diseases of the esophagus often involve a backflow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, a process known as reflux. Acid reflux can be caused by a hiatal hernia, in which the stomach protrudes abnormally through the diaphragm into the chest, pressure in the abdomen due to conditions such as pregnancy, eating certain types of food and drink, and smoking . Over time, the effect of the acid on the lining of the esophagus leads to inflammation, and symptoms such as heartburn, chest pain, burping, and bloating may occur. Changes in the lining of the esophagus can cause diseases such as ulcerative esophagitis, in which ulcers form and bleeding or perforation may follow. The esophagus can become scarred and narrowed, or a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus can develop.
Barrett’s esophagus involves changes in the lining of the esophagus, which make the cells there more likely to become cancerous. For all diseases of the esophagus in which acid reflux is a cause, treatments include simple measures such as quitting smoking, losing weight, and making dietary changes. Medications to suppress or neutralize stomach acid are often used, and surgery is sometimes done to narrow the esophagus where it joins the stomach.
Esophageal cancer is most commonly found in men, and those who smoke and drink alcohol are most at risk. Symptoms such as weight loss, painful and difficult swallowing, vomiting, and bleeding may not show up until the disease is advanced enough. If cancer is discovered early, before it has spread, it can sometimes be treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Besides Barrett’s esophagus, another of the diseases of the esophagus that carries a higher risk of developing cancer is the condition called achalasia. In achalasia, the muscles of the esophagus don’t function normally, which means that food can’t move easily down it, and the lower extremity doesn’t relax enough to allow it to pass into the stomach. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, cough and chest pain. Treatment of achalasia can involve medications, surgery, and a procedure to stretch the esophagus.
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