Esophagitis is inflammation of the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. If you are diagnosed with esophagitis, you must treat it. However, the treatment approach given to treat esophagitis is determined by the cause. If you want to know the symptoms of esophagitis, read the article on how to detect esophagitis.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Treating Esophagitis due to Acid Reflux
Step 1. Recognize that acid reflux is a major cause of esophagitis
This occurs when gastric acid flows up into the esophagus and causes irritation at the bottom of the duct. Common symptoms include:
- Pain when swallowing.
- Difficulty swallowing food, especially solid food.
- A burning sensation in the chest (heartburn).
- Cough.
- Occasionally, nausea or vomiting, fever, or abdominal pain.
Step 2. Remove the trigger from your diet
Acid reflux is often caused by foods that are difficult to digest by the stomach or difficult to pass through the esophagus, these foods are triggers. Try to eliminate these foods from your diet and see the benefits. If you want to try this method, don't just stop eating one food at a time, because generally there is more than one trigger food, and it will be difficult to determine which one is harmful to your body. So, stop eating all trigger foods for at least 2 weeks, then reintroduce them one at a time into your diet every 3 days; You should stop eating acid reflux-inducing foods altogether, or limit them slightly.
- Common acid reflux triggers include caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, tomatoes, alcohol, citrus, spicy foods, and high-fat foods.
- You are also better off eating smaller meals more often than large meals. This method can help relieve the burning sensation in the chest.
Step 3. Quit smoking
If you smoke, it might be time to consider quitting the habit, or at least cutting back. Smoking is known to play a role in the development of diseases of the esophagus, including a burning sensation in the chest. Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting smoking (which includes nicotine replacement therapy and/or the use of drugs such as Wellbutrin which can relieve addiction).
Step 4. Lose weight
Being overweight or obese is also known to be associated with an increased burning sensation in the chest, so it might be time to start taking a daily walk and starting an exercise program. Losing weight is not only beneficial for problems with the esophagus, but also for your overall health and fitness.
Talk to your doctor if you need guidance or direction to start an exercise program, and always consult with your doctor first if you are concerned that your body is not in accordance with the exercise you are going to undergo
Step 5. Keep yourself straight for at least 30 minutes after eating
When you lie down after eating a large meal, the digestion of food will be more difficult. If your esophagus is damaged, there is a greater chance that stomach acid will flow into your esophagus while you are lying down.
If you experience a burning sensation in your chest at night, elevating your head with a few pillows may help. Elevating the head position during sleep makes your body more upright, so it is quite able to reduce the burning sensation in the chest
Step 6. Take an over-the-counter acid reflux medication
Antacids are a good first choice, but if that doesn't work for you, there are other, more powerful options that you can buy over the counter.
- Another option is Rantin (ranitidine) which is an H2 antihistamine.
- You can also try Pumpitor (omeprazole), a proton pump inhibitor that can help reduce stomach acid and thus relieve esophageal irritation from reflux.
Step 7. Pay attention to the duration of the use of over-the-counter drugs
If you take any of the over-the-counter medications above for 2 weeks or more, be sure to visit your doctor and tell them about the medications you are taking. If you still have reflux after changing your diet and taking over-the-counter medications, see your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
- At that time, your doctor may offer stronger antireflux medications to help with esophagitis.
- This step is key to getting the right diagnosis, because different diagnoses require different treatments. This is why you should visit your doctor if you don't feel any improvement after using over-the-counter medications.
Method 2 of 3: Treating Esophagitis due to Drug Use
Step 1. Drink a full glass of water with the medicine
If you have drug-induced esophagitis, you may be able to treat this problem by drinking a full glass of water with the medicine. Sometimes esophagitis is caused by the tablet being stuck in the esophagus and not going straight into the stomach for a certain time and causing irritation.
- Another option is to use the drug in liquid form, rather than tablets, if available. Drugs in liquid preparations can reduce the symptoms of esophagitis due to retained tablets.
- You are also advised to sit or stand for at least 30 minutes after taking the medicine. Lying down immediately after taking medication is known to increase symptoms of a burning sensation in the chest.
Step 2. Talk to your doctor to find a replacement prescription
If drinking a full glass of water with medication doesn't work to relieve reflux, you may need to stop taking the prescription medication and use another medication option. However, before stopping treatment, you should first discuss it with your doctor.
Many diseases must be treated with more than one drug, so talk to your doctor first to find out a substitute that is less irritating to the esophagus
Step 3. Stop using over-the-counter pain relievers
Stop taking regular aspirin or NSAIDs immediately if you develop esophagitis. However, visit a doctor first to stop using both gradually. Stopping the drug suddenly can cause your inflammation and pain to recur, but if done gradually this can be avoided. You should also discuss the symptoms causing the use of both drugs, so that your doctor can diagnose and provide replacement treatment.
Over-the-counter pain relievers have been reported to cause an increase in symptoms of a burning sensation in the chest in some patients. This is why you should use these medications with caution and consult your doctor if you suspect your condition will worsen as a result
Method 3 of 3: Treating Eosinophilic or Infectious Esophagitis
Step 1. Use a topical oral steroid medication to treat eosinophilic esophagitis
Eosinophilic esophagitis is caused by an allergic reaction to food. This allergic reaction causes the esophagus to become inflamed and damaged.
- Steroid medications can help reduce or stop the unnecessary immune response from eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Just like inhaled steroids used to relieve asthma, topical oral steroids will coat the surface of the digestive tract to prevent irritation.
- Another advantage of topical oral steroids is that they are not absorbed into the bloodstream, so you can avoid the side effects that commonly accompany steroid medications.
Step 2. Have your doctor do an allergy test for eosinophilic esophagitis
Often, the cause of eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic reaction to certain foods. To determine the trigger foods, it is recommended that you eliminate suspicious foods from your diet (the doctor will tell which foods are likely to trigger this disease), and slowly introduce them back into the diet, while monitoring for reactions or symptoms of a burning sensation in the chest.
You should only go back to eating those foods one at a time, otherwise you won't be able to determine which is the real cause of your symptoms
Step 3. Treat the organism causing the infectious esophagitis
In infectious esophagitis, drugs will be prescribed according to the causative organism.
- If caused by the fungus Candida, the medication is fluconazole or echinocandin. The drug will be selected based on the Candida strain and the individual patient's condition, which includes the severity of the disease, as well as whether there are diseases, allergies, or other concomitant factors.
- If the patient has viral esophagitis, the drugs to be prescribed are acyclovir, famciclovir, or valaciclovir. Again, the choice of drug is determined by the patient's condition and the virus that causes it.
- If it is caused by bacteria, antibiotics will be prescribed by a doctor.
