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Reflux esophagitis
What are the symptoms of reflux esophagitis?
Common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) include upper abdominal distension, chest pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion. Gastroscopy may reveal lesions in the esophageal mucosa, facilitating a GERD diagnosis. Lesion sizes and severity are graded from A to D (ABCD), with Grade A being the mildest and Grade D the most severe. The main treatments include promoting gastric motility, suppressing acid production, and protecting the gastric mucosa, typically over an eight-week course. GERD is closely related to poor gastric motility, so patients are advised to increase physical activity, which can help enhance gastrointestinal motility and strengthen gastric motility, alleviating GERD symptoms.
How to treat reflux esophagitis?
Reflux esophagitis can be diagnosed when an endoscopy reveals damage to the gastric mucosa. Its main symptoms include upper abdominal pain, chest pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting. Treatment primarily involves acid suppression, promoting gastric motility, and protecting the mucosa. Since reflux esophagitis is greatly related to poor gastric motility, in addition to pharmacological treatments, increasing physical activity is also necessary because exercise can enhance gastrointestinal motility and strengthen gastric dynamics, playing a crucial role in the treatment and symptom relief of reflux esophagitis. Furthermore, the diet should be light and easy to digest, avoiding spicy, stimulating, fried, grilled, cold, and sweet foods.
What is the treatment for reflux esophagitis?
The main symptoms of reflux esophagitis include upper abdominal pain, chest pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting. By conducting an endoscopy, the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis can be confirmed if the mucous membrane of the esophagus shows signs of hyperemia, edema, erosion, and ulcers. Treatment mainly involves acid suppression and gastric protection, promoting motility, and mucosal repair, which generally takes six to eight weeks. Dietary adjustments are also important, focusing on a bland and easily digestible diet. It is recommended to avoid spicy, stimulating, fried, grilled, and baked foods, as well as reducing sweet foods. Consumables such as porridge, soup, or noodles, which are easier to digest, are advised.
The difference between reflux esophagitis and esophagitis
The main difference between reflux esophagitis and esophagitis is that esophagitis has a broader range, and reflux esophagitis is just one type of esophagitis. Esophagitis can be caused by many factors, as it involves inflammation changes occurring after multiple factors have damaged the esophageal mucosa. Based on different etiological factors, it can be divided into reflux esophagitis, radiation esophagitis, infectious esophagitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, drug-induced esophagitis, and radiation esophagitis. Reflux esophagitis is the most common type of esophagitis, primarily caused by the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, which leads to the reflux of stomach and duodenal contents into the esophagus causing inflammatory changes. This may be related to factors such as obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a high-fat diet.
Is reflux esophagitis grade LA-A severe?
Reflux esophagitis grade LA-A is not very severe. It is the lowest grade in the classification of reflux esophagitis, indicating that one or more areas of the esophageal mucosa are damaged, but the length of the lesions is less than five millimeters. If reflux esophagitis grade LA-A is present, the use of proton pump inhibitors, which suppress gastric acid secretion, can be considered for treatment to reduce the damage and irritation to the esophageal mucosa from excessive gastric acid secretion. Additionally, medications such as aluminum-magnesium carbonate and sucralfate can be used to protect the esophageal and gastric mucosa. The specific choice of medication and the dosage should be used under the guidance of a clinical physician.
Do you always need to take medication for reflux esophagitis?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) doesn't necessarily require continuous medication. If symptoms are effectively relieved, and patients no longer experience recurrence for four to eight weeks following adjustments to their diet and lifestyle, then it might be considered appropriate to temporarily discontinue medication. However, if symptoms recur after these treatments, prompt pharmacological treatment should be administered to prevent worsening of the condition. Treatment might include the use of proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole and lansoprazole to suppress gastric acid secretion, as well as antacids like aluminum magnesium carbonate and sucralfate to protect the gastric mucosa. Additionally, medications like mosapride or itopride may be used to enhance motility in the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. (Medication should be taken according to medical advice.)
Does reflux esophagitis cause mucus in stool?
The symptoms of reflux esophagitis mainly manifest as chest pain, acid reflux, as well as upper abdominal bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting, etc. Generally, it does not involve the occurrence of mucus in stools. If mucus in stools occurs, we consider two diseases. The first one is chronic colitis, which can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea, and sometimes mucus in stools. The other is ulcerative colitis, whose main symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, and stools with mucus and pus blood. A colonoscopy can be conducted to determine which specific disease is present, and then targeted treatment can be administered based on the results of the colonoscopy.
What should I do if reflux esophagitis causes a fever?
Reflux esophagitis, if accompanied by fever, might indicate the possibility of an infectious disease. It is necessary to further determine whether there is an infection and its location. Complete blood count and C-reactive protein tests can be conducted. At the same time, a follow-up gastroscopy should be done to observe the condition of the esophageal lesions, and histopathological examinations might be necessary when needed. Patients with reflux esophagitis require active treatment to suppress gastric acid secretion, and can also use gastroprotective agents, such as magnesium trisilicate and sucralfate. Prokinetic drugs like mosapride and itopride are also needed for treatment. Dietary adjustments should focus on a bland diet, avoiding spicy and irritating foods.
What foods are good for gastroesophageal reflux disease?
For reflux esophagitis, it is recommended to have an easily digestible diet and avoid smoking and drinking. One should not consume strong tea, coffee, fatty, greasy, spicy, fried, grilled, cold, or sweet foods. It is also advised against consuming milk, soy milk, glutinous rice, sweet potatoes, etc., as these foods may promote gastric acid secretion, leading to further irritation of the esophageal mucosa and worsening reflux esophagitis. Some are also difficult to digest, so it is recommended to avoid them. You can consume porridge, such as lean meat porridge, chicken porridge, fish porridge, etc.; or soups, such as chicken soup, pork rib soup, etc.; you can also eat noodles. When eating meat, remember to cook it until it's very soft, and it is also advised to increase physical activity.
Can people with reflux esophagitis eat sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes can increase the secretion of stomach acid, and it is not recommended for those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to consume sweet potatoes. GERD is a type of gastroesophageal reflux disease that refers to the damage to the esophageal mucosa caused by the reflux of acid or alkali. During an endoscopy, defects in the esophageal mucosa, or ulcers, can be observed. GERD is graded based on the size of these ulcers and the extent of erosion, with four levels of severity. The larger the damage, the higher the grade, indicating a more severe case of GERD. Therefore, those with GERD must be cautious about their diet. It is essential to quit smoking and drinking alcohol, avoid strong tea and coffee, and try not to consume foods that are rich, greasy, fried, spicy, or grilled. Foods like milk, soy milk, glutinous rice, and sweet potatoes, which can increase the secretion of stomach acid, are also not recommended. Thus, it is advised that people with GERD avoid consuming sweet potatoes.