Symptoms of chronic esophagitis

Clinical symptoms of chronic esophagitis are caused by both inflammatory changes in the esophagus mucosa, and often also by concomitant esophageal dyskinesia and those situations that caused the development of chronic esophagitis.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Dysphagia

Dysphagia - unpleasant sensations experienced by a patient while passing food through the esophagus. The patient perceives dysphagia as a feeling of pressure, raspiraniy, overflow, "cola", "lump" behind the sternum. Chronic esophagitis is characterized mainly by paroxysmal dysphagia, which is due to concomitant esophagic hypermotor dyskinesia and is manifested by difficulty in passing, mainly, liquid food; The passage of dense products is disturbed to a much lesser degree (paradoxical dysphagia). Persistent (persistent) dysphagia is observed in other diseases of the esophagus (cancer, stenosis of the esophagus, etc.), is characterized by a disruption of the passage of predominantly solid food and is facilitated by careful grinding of the products or washing them down with a considerable amount of liquid.

[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]

Pain

As a rule, pain in chronic esophagitis is localized in a mild manner. They can be permanent or paroxysmal, radiating to the lower jaw, neck, interscapular area. VM Nechaev (1991) describes the so-called inverted dynamics of the development of pain: starting, for example, in the interblade area, they spread right and left across the intercostal spaces, and then anterior to the sternum, to the neck and lower jaw. The most characteristic feature of pain in esophagitis is their connection with food intake and a combination with dysphagia. Pain in chronic esophagitis is due to the actual inflammation of the mucosa of the esophagus.

In the presence of peptic reflux esophagitis, chest pain occurs during the casting of gastric or duodenal contents into the esophagus; This usually occurs with belching, torso bending forward, overeating, in a horizontal position.

The paroxysmal (spasmodic) character of the pains with esophagitis accompanies the hypermotor dyskinesia of the esophagus. Pain in chronic esophagitis weakens after taking antacids.

Heartburn

Heartburn is perceived as a burning sensation, heat, heat in the xiphoid process or behind the breastbone. It is caused by irritation of the inflamed mucosa of the esophagus with gastric or duodenal contents in duodenogastroesophageal reflux.

Heartburn usually occurs after eating, especially after taking fatty and spicy foods, tomatoes, chocolate, alcohol, and after smoking. It can be amplified in the horizontal position of the patient, when tilted forward, with flatulence, lifting weights, wearing a tight belt.

Regulation (esophageal vomiting)

Regurgitation is a retrograde entry of esophageal contents into the oral cavity without previous nausea and without the involvement of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. In fact, esophageal vomiting is a passive leakage of esophageal contents into the oral cavity. Usually this is observed with stagnant esophagitis and, unfortunately, at the same time aspiration of food masses may occur.

Belching

Eating is often observed with chronic esophagitis. There may be a belch of sour, bitter, and also eaten food. Usually, the eructation is observed in the presence of gastroesophageal reflux.

[12], [13], [14]

Vomiting

Vomiting is often observed with chronic esophagitis. It is most characteristic for alcoholic lesions of the esophagus and is usually in the morning ("morning vomiting of alcoholics"). Most often there is vomiting of mucus, sometimes there is an admixture of food in the vomit.

If vomiting is persistent, it predisposes to tearing of the inflamed mucosa of the esophagus and bleeding. Mallory-Weiss syndrome develops - marked sudden esophageal-gastric bleeding due to longitudinal tearing of the mucous membranes of the cardial section of the esophagus and stomach against a background of vomiting (often occurs in alcoholics).