Eosinophilic esophagitis (e-o-sin-o-FILL-ik uh-sof-uh-JIE-tis) is a chronic immune system disease. With this disease, a type of white blood cell, called an eosinophil, builds up in the lining of the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. This tube is also called the esophagus.
Esophagitis is often caused by stomach fluid that flows back into the food pipe. The fluid contains acid, which irritates the tissue. This problem is called gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). An autoimmune disorder called eosinophilic esophagitis also causes this condition.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a prototypic autoimmune disease manifesting with skeletal, bulbar, and respiratory muscle weakness, fatigue especially with repetitive movement or muscle actions, and impaired chewing or swallowing [35].
Treating the esophageal symptoms of scleroderma can be quite challenging. Medical therapy includes medications that suppress acid production by the stomach (proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists), and medications that improve gastric emptying (dopamine antagonists and 5-HT4 receptor agonists).
The most common problem with the esophagus is GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). With GERD, a muscle at the end of your esophagus does not close properly. This allows stomach contents to leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus and irritate it. Over time, GERD can cause damage to the esophagus.
Esophagitis can cause painful, difficult swallowing and chest pain. Many different things can cause esophagitis. Some common causes include stomach acids backing up into the esophagus, infection, oral medicines and allergies.
Early symptoms may include swelling and itchiness. Affected skin can become lighter or darker in color and may look shiny because of the tightness. Some people also experience small red spots, called telangiectasia, on their hands and face.
Diffuse cutaneous scleroderma comes on suddenly, usually with skin thickening on your fingers or toes. The skin thickening then spreads to the rest of your body above the elbows and/or knees. This type can damage your internal organs, such as: Anywhere along your digestive system.
In general, patients with limited scleroderma have a normal life expectancy. Some have problems with their GI tract, especially heartburn; severe Raynaud's and musculoskeletal pain; and a small subset can develop pulmonary hypertension that can be life-threatening.
Certain disorders — such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease — can cause dysphagia. Neurological damage. Sudden neurological damage, such as from a stroke or brain or spinal cord injury, can affect the ability to swallow.
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When this occurs it is called esophageal scleroderma, a condition in which the smooth muscles of the esophagus are damaged and replaced with scar tissue. This causes the esophagus to become narrower and can lead to acid reflux symptoms and swallowing problems.
Neurological conditions that can cause swallowing difficulties are: stroke (the most common cause of dysphagia); traumatic brain injury; cerebral palsy; Parkinson disease and other degenerative neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), multiple sclerosis, ...
Lupus and the esophagus
Lupus can cause inflammation in the esophagus and weaken the muscles you use to swallow. When the muscle that connects your esophagus to your stomach is too weak, it can cause acid reflux (stomach acid moving backward to the esophagus).
Complications. The long-term complications of EoE are not clearly understood. If left untreated, symptoms will continue and damage to the esophagus causing narrowing may happen.
The symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis are variable, especially in people of different ages. Common symptoms include difficulty swallowing (dysphagia); food getting stuck in the throat (impaction); nausea; vomiting; poor growth; weight loss; stomach pain; poor appetite; and malnutrition.
The doctor will start by asking questions about symptoms and previous medical history. He or she will also do a physical exam and may order a biopsy to look at a small sample of the affected skin under a microscope. He or she may also order urine, blood and other tests to see if any internal organs have been affected.
In localized scleroderma, the skin is the main organ system involved and muscles and bones may or may not be. In systemic scleroderma, internal organs such as the digestive tract, heart, lungs, and kidneys may be affected. The severity of this condition varies.
The cause of scleroderma is unknown. A buildup of a substance called collagen in the skin and other organs leads to the symptoms of the disease. The disease most often affects people ages 30 to 50 years. Women get scleroderma more often than men.
Age: Most localized types of scleroderma show up before age 40, and systemic types of scleroderma are typically diagnosed between ages 30 and 50.
The biggest reason for misdiagnosis is that it resembles other connective tissue diseases like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, especially in the beginning stages. Also, the initial symptoms can be unclear and vague, such as cold hands, fatigue, general achiness, and slight difficulty swallowing.
ANA: Antinuclear Antibody Assay
Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing is the most important blood test to screen for scleroderma and other connective tissue diseases.
Almost all cases of esophagitis can be cured. Some causes, such as acid reflux, may require long-term treatment.