Hello there,
Is everyone living a healthy life?
In the last session, we learned about gastritis. In this session, we will learn about reflux esophagitis.
It’s a pretty common disease, so let’s find out.
What is reflux esophagitis?
Reflux esophagitis, also known simply as “esophagitis,” is a condition characterized by inflammation and irritation of the esophagus due to the backward flow of stomach acid and digestive juices. The esophagus is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach, and it serves to transport food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach.
Common symptom
- Heartburn: A burning sensation in the chest, often occurring after meals or when lying down. It is one of the most typical symptoms of acid reflux.
- Regurgitation: A sour or bitter taste in the mouth, often accompanied by the sensation of food or stomach contents coming back up into the throat.
- Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing or a feeling of food getting stuck in the chest or throat.
- Chest pain: Some people may experience chest discomfort that can be mistaken for heart-related issues. It’s important to differentiate between heart-related chest pain and reflux-related chest pain.
- Chronic cough: Irritation of the esophagus can stimulate the vagus nerve, which may lead to a chronic cough that doesn’t respond well to usual cough treatments.
- Hoarseness or sore throat: The backflow of stomach acid can irritate the throat and vocal cords, causing hoarseness or a sore throat.
- Nausea or vomiting: In severe cases, reflux esophagitis can lead to nausea and vomiting, particularly after eating.
Causes of Reflux esophagitis
- Hiatal Hernia: A hiatal hernia occurs when a part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. This can weaken the LES’s ability to maintain a proper barrier between the stomach and esophagus, leading to increased reflux.
- Obesity: Excess body weight, especially around the abdomen, can put pressure on the stomach and LES, leading to their dysfunction and increasing the likelihood of reflux.
- Certain Foods and Beverages: Spicy foods, acidic foods (like citrus fruits and tomatoes), fatty foods, chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol can relax the LES or directly irritate the esophageal lining, promoting reflux.
- Smoking: Smoking can weaken the LES and reduce its effectiveness, increasing the risk of reflux.
- Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and increased pressure on the abdomen due to the growing fetus can contribute to reflux during pregnancy.
- Medications: Certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), certain muscle relaxants, and some blood pressure medications, can relax the LES and promote reflux.
- Lying Down After Eating: Gravity helps keep stomach contents down when we’re upright. Lying down soon after eating can allow stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus more easily.
- Eating Large Meals: Overeating can put pressure on the stomach and LES, increasing the risk of reflux.
- Delayed Gastric Emptying: Some conditions that delay the emptying of the stomach’s contents, such as gastroparesis, can contribute to reflux.
- Connective Tissue Disorders: Conditions like scleroderma can weaken the LES and promote reflux.
There are many difficult and unfamiliar contents, but what we need to focus on is lifestyle. It’s a very bad habit to eat a lot of spicy and salty food and lie down and rest right away or smoke.
How to prevent reflux esophagitis.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight, especially around the abdomen, can put pressure on the stomach and LES, increasing the likelihood of reflux. Maintain a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise.
- Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals: Consuming smaller meals throughout the day rather than large, heavy meals can help reduce the pressure on the stomach and LES.
- Avoid Trigger Foods: Identify foods that trigger your reflux symptoms and avoid them. These may include spicy, acidic, fatty, and fried foods, as well as caffeine and alcohol.
- Avoid Eating Close to Bedtime: Aim to finish your last meal of the day at least two to three hours before lying down. This helps prevent stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus while you’re lying down.
- Elevate the Head of Your Bed: Raising the head of your bed by 6 to 8 inches (about 15 to 20 centimeters) can help keep stomach contents down by utilizing gravity.
- Avoid Tight-Fitting Clothing: Tight clothing around the waist and abdomen can put pressure on the stomach and LES, increasing the risk of reflux.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking weakens the LES and contributes to reflux. Quitting smoking not only benefits your overall health but also reduces reflux symptoms.
- Limit Alcohol and Caffeine: Both alcohol and caffeine can relax the LES and irritate the esophageal lining. Moderation is key.
- Practice Good Posture: Sitting up straight while eating and for a while after meals can help prevent stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus.
- Manage Stress: Stress and anxiety can worsen reflux symptoms. Practice stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or regular exercise.
- Stay Upright After Eating: Avoid lying down immediately after eating. Stay in an upright position to allow your stomach time to digest before lying down.
- Chew Gum: Chewing sugar-free gum after meals can help stimulate saliva production, which can help neutralize stomach acid.
- Avoid Tightening Your Abdomen: Activities that involve bending over, lifting heavy objects, or straining can increase pressure on the stomach and LES. Be mindful of your movements.
- Medication Management: If you’re on medications that could contribute to reflux (such as NSAIDs), discuss alternatives or strategies with your healthcare provider.
So, we looked into reflux esophagitis. Don’t forget, you have to change your basic lifestyle correctly. If the symptoms are severe, I recommend consulting a healthcare professional.
For our healthy life.