Chronic esophagitis

Description:

Chronic esophagitis - an inflammation of a mucous membrane of a gullet lasting more than 6 months. The most widespread option of this disease is the peptic esophagitis (reflux esophagitis).

Symptoms of the Chronic esophagitis:

The clinical picture of a chronic esophagitis is caused as inflammatory changes from a mucous membrane of a gullet, and the accompanying dyskinesia of a gullet and those situations which served as the reason of development of chronic process. The main symptoms of a chronic esophagitis are:


dysphagy;
pains;
heartburn;
regurgitation (esophageal vomiting);
eructation;
vomiting.

The dysphagy at a chronic esophagitis has pristupoobrazny character and is shown by difficulty of passing of generally liquid food.

Pains are localized preferential behind a breast, can irradiate in a mandible, a neck and interscapular area. Characteristic of pains at a chronic esophagitis - their communication with meal and a combination to a difagiya. Heartburn usually arises after food, especially after reception of greasy and spicy food, tomatoes, chocolate, alcohol, and also after smoking. It can amplify in horizontal position of the patient, at a trunk inclination forward, at a meteorism, heavy lifting, wearing a hard belt.

Regurgitation (esophageal vomiting) is observed at congestive esophagites, at the same time there can be an aspiration of food masses.

The eructation can be acid, bitter, and also the eaten food. Usually the eructation is observed at a gastroesophageal reflux. Vomiting is rather often observed at a chronic esophagitis, especially at alcoholic damage of a gullet and usually in the mornings ("morning vomiting of alcoholics"). Most often emetic masses is rich with slime, but sometimes there is also a food impurity. Persistent vomiting can lead to anguishes of the inflamed mucous and cause bleeding.

Allocate several stages in development of a chronic esophagitis:

The I stage - hypostasis and a hyperemia mucous, existence of a large amount of slime;

The II stage - emergence of single erosion against the background of hypostasis, a hyperemia of a mucous membrane of a gullet;

The III stage - numerous erosion and easy bleeding of a mucous membrane of a gullet against the background of the expressed hypostasis and a hyperemia of a mucous membrane of a gullet;

The IV stage - erosion extend on all gullet, are noted contact (at an endoscope touch) bleeding, hypostasis, a hyperemia of a mucous membrane of a gullet, availability of viscous slime in the form of a plaque, sometimes with a yellowish shade.

At roentgenoscopy characteristic signs of a chronic esophagitis are puffiness of folds of a mucous membrane, roughness of contours of a gullet, existence of a large amount of slime. In the presence of erosion of a mucous membrane of a gullet roundish or oval strips of "depot" of barium of 0,5-1,0 cm in size are found.

Reasons of the Chronic esophagitis:

The chronic esophagitis can arise at constant traumatization of a gullet an alimentary factor (reception of hot, too cold or rough food, an alcohol abuse). Congestive esophagites are caused by constant and long stagnation and decomposition of food at diverticulums, high-quality and malignant stenoses of a gullet, and also can develop at an achalasia of the cardia and continuous impact on a mucous membrane of a gullet of harmful production factors (salts of heavy metals, alkalis, acids etc.). In the latter case development of a professional esophagitis is possible. Allergic factors promote development of an allergic esophagitis.

At polyhypovitaminoses, a fabric hypoxia of any genesis, portal hypertensia (in connection with disturbance of a trophicity of a mucous membrane of a gullet) nutritional esophagites develop.

The reflux esophagitis (peptic esophagitis) is connected with continuous throwing in a gullet of gastric or duodenal contents.

Injuries and foreign bodys can also serve as the reason of development of a chronic esophagitis as usually infectious and inflammatory process joins effects of an injury.

A number of specific diseases (tuberculosis, syphilis, candidiasis) can lead to development of a specific esophagitis though the last meets in practice quite seldom.

The pathogeny of a chronic esophagitis consists in the damaging influence of etiological factors on a mucous membrane of a gullet, decrease in its protective properties and resistance, disturbance of balance between aggressive factors of a gastric juice and barrier functions of mucous.

Treatment of the Chronic esophagitis:

Treatment of a chronic esophagitis is based on the same principles, as treatment of an acute esophagitis, and differs only in duration (before total disappearance of inflammatory process).

Prevention of a chronic esophagitis includes a balanced diet (an exception of all alimentary errors causing an esophagitis); at professional vrednost extra care is necessary during the work with acids and alkalis, sources of ionizing radiation, timely and adequate treatment of the basic and specific diseases, fight against hypo - and avitaminosis, long stagnation of food in a gullet.