Are you experiencing pain or difficulty swallowing along with heartburn, chest pains, and acid reflux? If these symptoms persist for more than a few days, even after taking antacids, you may have esophagitis. Esophagitis happens when your esophagus is inflamed.
You need to control esophagitis early on to prevent it from developing into more severe conditions like Barrett’s esophagus. In this article, you’ll find the best strategies you can take to cope with esophagitis.
Limit Intake of Triggers
Esophagitis is usually a result of acid irritating your esophagus. As such, the prevention of acid reflux is one of the strategies for preventing and dealing with esophagitis. So, you should avoid foods that are spicy and acidic. Some people also experience esophagitis due to food allergies.
Here are some of the foods you should avoid:
- Spices like pepper, chili powder, curry, and nutmeg
- Acidic fruits like tomatoes, oranges, grapes, and lemons
- Caffeinated food and drinks like chocolates, coffee, and tea
- Possible allergens like milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, bean, wheat, and rye
- Fried foods
- Fatty foods
Sometimes, certain types of drugs can also cause esophagitis. This happens if the drug’s residue stays in contact with the esophageal tissue for too long. Here are some drugs associated with esophagitis:
- Antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline
- Bisphosphonates like alendronate
- Pain-relieving medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium
- Potassium chloride
- Quinidine
Some of these drugs are essential for your overall health. For example, alendronate is used to treat brittle bones, a condition common among older adults. So, if your symptoms are worsening due to your intake of it, you can switch to liquid medication upon your doctor’s approval.
Alternatively, you can practice better pill-taking habits, such as drinking a full glass of water with a pill. Standing or sitting upright for half an hour after taking a pill may also improve your condition.
Lifestyle Changes
Vices such as smoking and alcoholism are also risk factors for esophagitis. Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help you cope with this condition.
Poor eating and swallowing habits can also worsen symptoms of esophagitis. Instead of eating fast and swallowing big chunks of food, try taking small bites and chewing slowly and thoroughly.
You can also control your symptoms of esophagitis by eating softer foods, such as:
- Cooked cereals
- Custards
- Mashed potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Puddings
- Protein shakes
- Soups
Overall, you should consider developing better digestive health habits.
Other lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight and staying active can also address the root causes of esophagitis. Staying fit helps improve your musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and even respiratory health in the long run.
Consult Your Doctor
Esophagitis can be caused by different factors, so it’s best to consult your doctor for the best course of action. Esophagitis is one of many upper GI conditions and can result from other conditions such as GERD. Additionally, esophagitis has some symptoms that resemble more minor conditions like the occasional heartburn.
So, you must consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Your GI doctor can properly diagnose your condition with these tests:
Barium X-Ray
Before a barium X-ray, you’ll drink a barium solution or take a barium-coated pill. The barium compound will then help identify structural abnormalities, such as a hiatal hernia or tumor.
Endoscopy
During an endoscopy, your doctor will look for potential abnormalities. They can also take some sample tissues for further laboratory testing.
Biopsy
A biopsy will examine a small tissue sample for viral, fungal, or bacterial infections. It can also determine whether or not you have allergies by measuring the concentration of allergy-related white blood cells. Additionally, biopsies can test for tumors for the early detection of esophageal cancer.
After diagnosis, your doctor can prescribe lifestyle changes, diet plans, and medications, if necessary.
Esophagitis Treatment in the Greater Austin Area, TX
A healthy diet, good pill-taking habits, and better lifestyle practices can all help you cope with esophagitis. However, there are many types and causes of esophagitis. Thus, consulting your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment is important.
If you are experiencing symptoms of esophagitis, consult Austin Gastroenterology. We have a large team of healthcare professionals who can diagnose and treat esophagitis and other GI tract conditions. We have over 18 locations around the Greater Austin area for your convenience.
Before visiting any of our locations, schedule an appointment with us through our online form. If you have any more questions about our services, you can reach out to us at (512) 244-2273 for our North Offices, (512) 454-4588 for our Central Offices, or (512) 448-4588 for our South Offices.
We look forward to keeping your GI tract functional and healthy!
