Symptoms Of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Unresponsive To GERD Medication

An individual who has symptoms that do not effectively respond to treatment with the use of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) medication may be affected by eosinophilic esophagitis. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a long term condition where an individual experiences movement of stomach acid into their esophagus. It is known to be associated with low numbers of eosinophils in an individual's esophageal tissues, but not as much as an eosinophilic esophagitis patient. Medications used to treat GERD work by decreasing the production of stomach acid to prevent inflammation of the esophageal tissues. These medications will not be very effective in eosinophilic esophagitis patients because the inflammation in their esophagus is not caused by excess stomach acid. GERD medications can help prevent further damage to the esophagus of an individual who has eosinophilic esophagitis if they have acid reflux, but they cannot relieve inflammation not caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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Failure To Thrive

A child diagnosed with failure to thrive may be affected by eosinophilic esophagitis as the underlying cause of their condition. Failure to thrive is a term used to describe when a child weighs significantly less than children of similar sex and age. Children with failure to thrive have a head circumference, height, and weight that does not line up with standard growth charts and are below the third percentile. Many factors can cause a child to develop failure to thrive, including problems with the functionality of their digestive tract. A child with eosinophilic esophagitis may be unwilling to eat certain foods or at a frequency that is enough to maintain their standard growth curve. An affected child may physically have trouble swallowing their food or be in too much pain when eating to consume enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. These difficulties stem from a large number of allergy cells or eosinophils in their esophagus that cause it to become inflamed and narrowed.

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