Esophageal ulcers are caused by bacterial infections and other conditions like GERD, bulimia, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. Symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting blood, and black stool. Treatment includes antibiotics, acid reduction, behavioral changes, and sometimes surgery. Early treatment is important to prevent the ulcer from expanding.
The esophagus is a long tube that is the food highway from the mouth to the stomach. Sometimes the tissue deteriorates or holes form at the bottom right at the stomach-oesophagus connection. When one of these holes forms, it is called an esophageal ulcer and this can create uncomfortable symptoms that can be better resolved with early treatment.
There are often several conditions that occur at the same time when an esophageal ulcer forms. First, most of these ulcers are caused primarily by a bacterial infection. However, people tend to be much more at risk of esophageal ulcers if they have other conditions such as gastrointestinal reflux disease or GERD. Other people at high risk include those with bulimia, those who smoke and those who drink alcohol to excess.
The symptoms of an esophageal ulcer may not be all that different from the symptoms of other peptic ulcers. People may have stomach pain, particularly late at night. Some people experience vomiting of blood. Pain is occasionally felt after eating fatty or particularly acidic foods or large meals. Blood may also be present in the stool, or the stool may look black and tarry, suggesting internal bleeding.
These symptoms are a great reason to see a doctor right away. They are likely to only get worse, especially if an ulcer expands. For diagnosis, doctors usually turn to several methods. These could include barium x-rays, which use radioactive material to better visualize the areas being examined. Endoscopy is another potential diagnostic tool and involves the use of a scope to probe deeply into the esophagus and possibly the stomach.
The most common treatment for an esophageal ulcer is first to give antibiotics to end the infection, but this may not completely resolve the conditions that contributed to the ulcer’s formation. Treatment of esophageal ulcer must also consider factors that may make the problem worse. Therefore, someone with a condition like GERD may be advised to use medications that reduce stomach acid and may prevent future ulcers. Clearly the bulimic behavior would suggest the need for, at a minimum, counseling and support.
Although ulcers are not particularly related to diet, some suggestions about diet and other behaviors could be made. These could include eating foods that are low in acid and counseling to lose weight if needed. People who smoke are advised to stop and those who drink may be advised to reduce or give up the practice.
Sometimes antibiotics, acid reduction, and behavioral changes aren’t enough to adequately treat an esophageal ulcer. Occasionally, surgery is needed to close the hole or stop it from growing larger. These surgeries can vary in how they are performed and the length of recovery, and can still be followed by standard esophageal ulcer treatments.
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