Eosinophilic oesophagitis is a rare, chronic condition that affects your oesophagus and digestive system. People with eosinophilic oesophagitis experience a build-up of white blood cells in their oesophagus. These white blood cells are typically released in response to allergens or foreign invaders. However, with this condition, the blood cells build up inside the oesophagus instead of doing their job and moving on.
This build-up of white blood cells then results in pain, inflammation, and redness in the oesophagus, leading to eosinophilic oesophagitis. If the oesophagus becomes inflamed enough, it can impede your ability to swallow, leading to digestive and weight issues because it’s challenging to eat. The condition is known as eosinophilic oesophagitis because the white blood cells at fault are called eosinophils.
Eosinophilic oesophagitis can happen to anyone at any age, and the symptoms will vary from person to person. Typically, the person’s age will affect what type of symptoms they experience and how severe they are. Toddlers with eosinophilic oesophagitis will experience the following symptoms.
Older children and adults with eosinophilic oesophagitis will experience the following symptoms.
The longer someone has eosinophilic oesophagitis, the more severe the symptoms will become. Therefore, it’s essential to seek an early diagnosis and treatment so that you can lead a normal life. Failing to do so and letting eosinophilic oesophagitis go untreated could lead to serious digestive issues and weight problems.
The most common cause of eosinophilic oesophagitis is an allergic reaction to something in the environment or something you eat. In response to the allergic reaction, your immune system sends white blood cells, eosinophils, for assistance. These eosinophils then cause inflammation, scarring, and damage to your oesophagus, leading to eosinophilic oesophagitis. Recent studies also show that your genetics may play a role in whether or not you have eosinophilic oesophagitis.
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In addition to genetics, there are a few risk factors that increase your chances of developing eosinophilic oesophagitis.
Despite these risk factors, anyone can get eosinophilic oesophagitis at any age.
There are several stages involved in diagnosing eosinophilic oesophagitis. For starters, your doctor will want to know if you struggle with allergies, acid reflux, and other symptoms or risk factors related to eosinophilic oesophagitis. If you do, they will then perform several diagnostic tests.
If your doctor diagnoses you with eosinophilic oesophagitis, it’s important to begin treatment immediately. While there’s no exact cure for eosinophilic oesophagitis, treatment and therapy can help manage your symptoms and help you live a normal life. Treatment options include medications to help reduce inflammation and prevent acid reflux.
You will also need to make dietary changes to eliminate foods you’re allergic to or that result in acid reflux. In extreme cases, you may also need to undergo oesophagus dilation to increase the size of your oesophagus. Using these treatments, you can live a normal life with eosinophilic oesophagitis.