The disorder that occurs in this food pipe is termed as oesophageal disorders
Barrett’s Oesophagus is a chronic condition where the cells in the Oesophagus (the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach) start growing abnormally in the lining of the food pipe. These cells are called squamous cells.
Thought Barrett’s oesophagus is not a type of cancer, but in some people, these cells may develop into Oesophageal Cancer if not treated for a long period of time. Under such rare condition, they change into a type more like the columnar (column-shaped) cells in the lining of the small and large bowel.
Barrett’s oesophagus comes with zero to no symptoms and is generally called “silent reflux.” However, people might experience symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) such as:
Other symptoms include:
The main cause of Barrett’s oesophagus is gastro-oesophageal reflux. It is a type of condition that develops due to the weak valve at the lower end of the oesophagus, which let the stomach juices splash up into the oesophagus.
Your risk of developing reflux is greater if you:
Diagnosing of Barrett’s oesophagus involves a number of tests, based on which a patient is evaluated for the treatment options. Some of the major tests include:
A doctor provides the treatment for Barrett’s oesophagus based on the patient’s overall health diagnosis, considering the presences of Dysplasia. The treatment options include:
Right after the diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus, topical medication is given to eliminate acid reflux. Medicines such as lansoprazole, omeprazole and pantoprazole are prescribed to the patient. These medicines provide relief from the symptoms of reflux. Doctors might require checking the effectiveness of medication using 24-hour pH monitoring.
In case of Severe Dysplasia or carcinoma, microsurgery performed using an endoscope to remove such conditions. Endoscopic techniques include:
An anti-reflux operation is performed over patients who show no effectiveness in the condition with the use of medicines. If cancerous cells or severe dysplasia has been detected then the lower oesophagus is removed surgically.
At times it is possible to reduce the side effects of the acid reflux by making some simple lifestyle changes. The most important ones include losing weight, eating a healthy diet, stop smoking and drinking and avoiding foods that aggravate the symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
It is critical to profoundly understand what really matters to patients when it comes to disease management and treatment expectations.