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Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is an allergic inf lammatory disease of the esophagus (the tube that connects the throat and the stomach). It is a newly diagnosed and not fully understood disease. Some of the symptoms of EE mimic those of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). EE is usually associated with food or environmental allergens and is most often seen in children.
An increasing number of EE cases have been diagnosed within the last several years. It is not fully known why the disease occurs most often in children, or why more cases of EE are being diagnosed.
EE causes abdominal pain, very painful swallowing and digestion, and vomiting. It can result in children failing to thrive and weight loss. There is a slight predominance of the disease in males.
EE may be treated by medications typically used to treat asthma, such as corticosteroids. Other asthma medications, like bronchodilators, should not be used to treat eosinophilic esophagitis as they may increase the stomach acid reflux into the esophagus. Medications traditionally used to treat heartburn (e.g. antacids) are not normally effective with EE.
EE can be treated by avoiding the allergen causing the reaction. In the case of food allergy, the preferred treatment method is strict avoidance of the problem food. An elimination diet may need to be undertaken to identify the particular food(s) causing the allergy and a special diet may need to be developed for the long term. An environmental allergy may be treated by a combination of avoidance and medications such as antihistamines.
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