Barrett esophagus

Barrett esophagus's disease overview

Barrett esophagus is a gastrointestinal disease, common in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease for a long time, leading to stimulating the mucosa in the esophagus, If occurring for a long time can affect the cell lining cells of the esophagus, leading to esophageal glandular cancer.

Esophageal's Barrett is often diagnosed with people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (Gastroesophage Reflux Diseus (GERD), this is a chronic recurrence of acidic movement from the stomach to the lower esophagus. However, only a small percentage of people with GERD will develop the esophagus.

So Esophagious Barrett is dangerous ?

Esophageal Barrett is associated with increased risk of developing esophageal cancer . Although the risk is small, it is important for patients to regularly re -examine precancerous cells (dysplasia cells). If pre -cancer cells are detected, early treatment can prevent esophageal cancer from progressing worse.

Causes of Barrett esophagus's disease

The exact cause of the current esophagus Barrett is not known. Most people with esophagus have gastroesophageal reflux disease for a long time.

In the gastroesophageal reflux disease, the food in the stomach is reflux into the esophagus, damaging the esophagus. When the esophagus tries to heal itself, but the color and composition of the lining cell change in the esophagus area due to repeated contact with stomach acid.

However, some patients have been diagnosed with esophageal barrett but have never had symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux, for these cases, researchers have not detected the cause of the disease.

Symptoms of Barrett esophagus's disease

The expressions of the esophagus Barrett are as follows:

  • Patients with regular heartburn symptoms
  • The feeling of difficulty swallowing when eating
  • Chest pain
  • However, many people with Barretts have no symptoms but only accidentally discovered when other examination.

    • When to see a doctor?

    If the patient is annoyed or affects the daily life due to heartburn and acid reflux for more than five years, then the patient should seek medical attention to detect whether or not the esophagus is at risk. . Patients should go to the doctor immediately if:

  • Chest pain, may be a symptom of a heart attack
  • Difficult to swallow
  • is vomiting of bright red blood or blood that looks like coffee grounds
  • Black stool bowel movement, smell or bright red blood.

    • Transmission route of Barrett esophagus's diseaseBarrett esophagus

    Barrett is not transmitted from infected people to healthy people.

    People at risk for Barrett esophagus's disease

    The factors that increase the risk of esophageal barrett include:

  • Chronic heartburn and acid reflux.
  • Age. Barrett Esophageal disease can occur at any age but more common in the elderly.
  • Men are more likely to suffer from esophagus Barrett than women.

    • White people are at higher risk than other racial people.

    Overweight. Body fat around the abdomen increases the risk of esophagus barrett.

  • Smoking now or having smoked cigarettes.

    • Prevention of Barrett esophagus's disease

    Currently, experts recommend measures to limit esophageal barrett as follows:

  • Use drugs to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease and re -examination on schedule to be able to monitor the progression of the disease. When using the drug, there must be a doctor's guidance, absolutely not to use itself.

  • Maintain weight at a reasonable level. Due to the weight is one of the factors that cause esophageal barrett; Patients should divide meals into small meals to limit heartburn, belching.
  • Limit eating greasy foods, fried foods, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol.
  • After eating should not lie right away, but wait at least 3 hours later to lie down, for people with gastroesophageal reflux disease when sleeping should be high for the pillow to drought Acid and food movement.
  • regularly and regular exercise.
  • Reasonable diet and nourishing the body, thereby improving the resistance to prevent disease.

    • Diagnostic measures for Barrett esophagus's disease

    Doctors often prescribe laparoscopy to determine the diagnosis of esophagus barrett. An endoscopy of a tube with a lamp equipped with a camera taken from the mouth to the esophagus, from which the image of the esophagus Barrett will be shown on the computer screen and the doctor will see the signs of changing the esophagus tissue. Normally, the esophagus tissue is pale and glossy, but in the disease of the esophagus, the tissue is red and smooth. At the same time, the doctor will take the esophagus and give a biopsy to determine the degree of change of the esophagus.

    Determine the level of tissue changes

    Doctors specializing in pathology will determine the level of dysplasia of the patient's esophageal cells. Because it is difficult to diagnose dysplasia in the esophagus, it is best to have two doctors specializing in pathology to read the results, the patient's tissue will be classified as follows:

  • There is no disorder, if there is a esophagus but does not change cell tissue.

    • Low level dysplasia, if the esophagus cells are transformed into minor precantic cancer cells.

  • Higher dysplasia, if cells show a lot of change. Higher dysplasia is thought to be the last step before the cells turn into esophageal cancer.

    • Esophagious barrett screening

    American College of Gastroenterology said that the screening is recommended for men with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (Gastroesophage Reflux Disease (GERD) at least at least the least 1 week 1 time without responding to treatment with proton pump inhibitors and at least the following risk factors:

  • over 50 years old
  • White people

    • There is a lot of abdominal fat

  • Smokers or have been smoking
  • There is a family history of family esophagus or esophageal cancer

    • Although women are less likely to suffer from esophagus Barrett, if there are symptoms and risk factors above, women should still go to the same screening. Like men.

    Barrett esophagus's disease treatments

    Treatment of esophagus barrett depends on the abnormal level of abnormal growth of the esophagus and the overall health of the patient.No dysplasia. The doctor may use the following measures:

  • Periodic endoscopy to monitor the progression of cells in the esophagus. If a biopsy shows no dysplasia, the patient is recommended to go to the endoscopy after 6 months and then every three years if nothing changes.
  • Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Drugs and lifestyle changes can reduce the symptoms of the patient. In addition, the patient also has the choice to perform surgery to tighten the sphincter to control the flow of stomach acid on the esophagus.
    • Low level dysplasia

    For low levels of dysplasia, the doctor will advise the patient after 6 months of re -examination, and the next time from 6 to 12 months Customs re -examination. The priority method for treating this period includes:

  • Use an endoscope to remove damaged cells.
  • Cut off the tumor with high frequency (radiofency ablation) using heat to remove abnormal esophageal tissue. This measure can be taken immediately after removing tissue by laparoscopic measures.

    • If the esophagitis is severe, it will initially be endoscopic, after 3-4 months, continue endoscopy for treatment to reduce stomach acid. Higher dysplasia

    Higher dysplasia is often thought to be the precursor of esophageal cancer. Therefore, the doctor may remove the endoscopy or cut the tumor with high frequency waves (Radiofrequency Ablation). Other options for treatment include:

  • Cryotherapy (Cryotherapy), using an endoscope to apply liquid or cold air to abnormal cells in the esophagus, then this cell is warmed, then. Continue frozen again. The cycle is so repeated to destroy abnormal cells.
  • Photodynamic therapy is a combination of a pharmaceutical called photosensitizer with a suitable light to kill cancer cells. .

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