Esophageal ulcers are wound surfaces on the wall of the mucous organ. Usually, such a disease occurs in people over 40 years old, but in some cases, the appearance of foci is also noted at a younger age, more often in men.
In non-advanced forms, an esophageal ulcer, the symptoms and treatment of which have been studied in detail by doctors, is easily treatable.
Localization and forms of the disease
Usually, ulcers form in the lower part of the esophagus. The disease can be both acute and chronic. In addition, lesions can be solitary (peptic) or multiple. Often the factors that determine their appearance are problems with the stomach and duodenum - digestive juice enters the esophagus, causing damage to the mucous membrane.
Reasons
Many factors may be due to the development of such an ailment as an esophageal ulcer. The causes of the disease are varied:
- complications after surgery;
- wrong diet;
- increased peristalsis of gastric muscles;
- high acidity of gastric juice;
- bad habits (excessive drinking and smoking);
- weakening of the human immune system;
- tumors narrowing the canal lumen;
- organ diverticula (curvature of the esophagus causing food stagnation);
- taking aggressive medications;
- chemotherapy, chest radiation;
- massive injuries, burns, significant damage to important organs.
Symptoms
Often, the disease can be classified as an esophageal ulcer based on external and internal manifestations. Symptoms of the disease are usually unambiguous:
- chest pain that worsens with or immediately after eating;
- discomfort when swallowing;
- heartburn, belching;
- bad breath.
Competent Doctors
The esophageal ulcer has now become a common ailment of the digestive system, the treatment of which is managed by a gastroenterologist. The referral is usually given by a therapist. The specialist diagnoses the state of the gastrointestinal tract, analyzes the symptoms and offers the most appropriate method of therapy, usually aimed at eliminating the ulcer.
Varieties of ulcerative lesions
The mostthe general classification considers 2 types of disease - symptomatic and true (peptic). In the first case, the form of the ulcer depends on the causes that caused the disease. So, there are medicinal, nervous, stagnant and decubital types.
Often the lesion occurs when aggressive substances are ingested - many medicines irritate the walls of the esophagus, which leads to inflammation. With strong emotional stress and shocks, the appearance of a stress ulcer is possible, and the formation of congestion is typical when the organ is squeezed by tumor-like neoplasms. The decubital variety is seen in patients who receive nutrients through a tube that can damage the mucosa.
For this type of abnormality, how the esophageal ulcer manifests itself (symptoms) is important, and its treatment is carried out directly on clinical manifestations.
The true type of ulcer involves the classification of the disease according to the time of the course - the pathology can be acute and chronic. The first type is characterized by the course of the disease with sour vomiting. The most common acute form is diagnosed after surgery. Chronic ulcers appear in the case of prolonged exposure to the walls of the esophagus of the components of gastric juice, which damage the mucosa. In general, the occurrence of peptic ulcers is due only to the negative effect of hydrochloric acid on the organ.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing always begins with an assessment of what is the case with such an ailment as an esophageal ulcer,symptoms, and treatment is developed according to the clinical picture. An anamnesis of the disease is collected, during which the patient's eating habits and lifestyle are analyzed. In addition, the doctor establishes the presence or absence of similar manifestations in the patient's relatives, examines his skin for rashes, spots and neoplasms, and takes into account the fat composition of the body. Often, to complete the clinical picture, blood samples are examined (diagnosis of anemia and leukocytosis), feces (to exclude the presence of bleeding).
The localization of the ulcer is determined instrumentally. Using a probe, the pH of the mucosa is measured. With an endoscope, the doctor removes a small piece of tissue from the esophagus to determine the presence of the bacterial strain Helicobacter pylori. If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the cavity, X-ray and computed tomography are additionally prescribed.
Treatment
In the earliest stages of the disease, as a rule, intensive care is not required - it will be enough to limit the consumption of irritating foods, not to be subjected to heavy loads and to refuse excessively tight synthetic clothing. Treatment with folk remedies will not be superfluous. It is also advisable to avoid lying down immediately after eating, and it is better to sleep at night with a raised headboard. For the duration of therapy, you should abandon physical activity that involves bending forward.
This effect is effective if there is a small, recent ulcer of the esophagus. More severe forms can be treatedin two ways - medical and surgical.
Drug therapy
Often used in therapy drugs that have antibacterial, antacid and astringent action. You will also need drugs that accelerate the regeneration of affected areas, and in extreme cases, analgesics will not be superfluous.
The main goal of drug therapy is to reduce pain, acidity of gastric juice and irritability of the mucosa, on which an esophageal ulcer has formed. Symptoms and treatment are related, as the disappearance of negative manifestations indicates an improvement in the clinical picture.
An important role is played by drugs that accelerate the healing of ulcers. The composition of such preparations contains a regeneration-stimulating substance that restores the correct tissue structure. Antacids are required to reduce the aggressive effect of hydrochloric acid on the esophagus by neutralization, and prokinetics effectively restore gastrointestinal motility.
Surgical therapy
Surgeries for the treatment of peptic ulcers are carried out if conservative therapy has been ineffective. Surgery is also required in case of insufficient closure of the gastric sphincter. Basically, intervention is necessary to prevent complications in the form of a hiatal hernia. A fundoplication of the esophagus is performed - the stomach is suspended from the diaphragm and attached to the abdominal wall. This is necessary to restore the correct angle between the organs - in this position, the risk of hydrochloric acid being thrown onto the canal mucosa is reduced. Oftenthe operation is combined with a proximal selective vagotomy according to the Nissen method, which involves the intersection of fragments of the vagus nerve responsible for the release of gastric hydrogen chloride.
Diet for esophageal ulcer
An important component of therapy at all stages is the observance of the correct diet. Properly constructed nutrition will help reduce pain and speed up recovery. So, under the ban are products that affect the secretion of gastric juice, increasing it. Fatty and fried foods, fresh bread, alcoholic and carbonated drinks, mushrooms should be excluded. At the time of treatment, it is advisable to completely switch to boiled and steamed foods. You can include dairy foods with zero fat content, eggs, cereals and meat without a lipid layer in the diet.
It is important to observe the drinking regimen: patients with an esophageal ulcer are shown increased water intake - at least 1.5 liters per day.
Folk treatment for esophageal ulcers
There are many alternative ways to prevent and treat esophageal ulcers. In the vast majority of cases, this type of therapy is safe, as it is based on the use of medicinal herbs as drugs. However, a doctor's permission is required before using alternative medicine prescriptions.
The most popular folk remedies for esophageal ulcers are represented by recipes for tinctures and decoctions:
- Preparing a mixture of peppermint, flax seeds and fennel, which are taken in equal proportions. The composition is poureda glass of boiling water and infused for 30 minutes. A decoction is taken twice a day in a glass.
- Several peeled potatoes are boiled in half a liter of water, then the solution is drained. It should be drunk half an hour before meals, 150 ml at a time. You can drink liquid after waking up - 1 glass before breakfast will be enough.
- Chicken eggs and young bee honey are mixed in a ratio of 1:2. The best time to take it is on an empty stomach in the morning, the duration of therapy is 14 days.
- Before breakfast, you can drink a glass of water and take a spoonful of honey and butter at intervals of half an hour. They take the medicine for 10 days, then a break of the same duration follows, and the course is repeated.
- An hour before meals with an ulcer, cabbage or potato juice is consumed - 200 and 75 ml, respectively. The course of treatment is a month.
- Propolis (40 g) is added to 500 ml of olive oil and heated in a water bath for half an hour. The mixture is taken on an empty stomach in a warm form in a tablespoon.
- Two tablespoons of cherry branches are poured into 290 g of boiling water and infused in a thermos for at least 8-10 hours. A decoction is used for 60 days three times a day 20 minutes before meals. Single dose - 60 ml.
- A tablespoon of a mixture prepared from an equal amount of sage and plantain is poured with 240 ml of water and insulated with a dense cloth for 2.5-3 hours. In the first decade, the decoction is taken half a glass before breakfast, then until the end of the monthly course, the number of daily doses is tripled.
- A full spoon of dried plantain is placed in a thermos with 200 ml of boiling water andinfused for 8-10 hours. The medicine is taken three times a day, half an hour before meals.
This therapy lends itself well to many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including an esophageal ulcer. Treatment with folk remedies gives a noticeable restorative and calming effect.
Complications of the course of the disease
With untimely or illiterate treatment, complications of the disease are possible. The main manifestations of these pathological conditions are ulcerative bleeding, narrowing of the esophageal canal and its perforation, and weight loss. In addition, the focus can grow and move to the nearest organs, causing their damage. That is why it is better not to delay treatment and consult a doctor immediately if mild symptoms appear. There is also literary information about the degeneration of untreated ulcers into cancerous tumors.
Preventive measures
To prevent the occurrence of an ulcer, it is necessary to exclude the influence of adverse factors in advance: it is advisable to completely stop smoking, reduce the negative load on the nervous system, and regularly undergo scheduled examinations by a doctor. For general strengthening of the body, it is useful to follow a diet, have dinner no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime, and maintain a he althy lifestyle. The occurrence of inflammatory processes in neighboring organs can also provoke esophageal ulcers, so all abnormalities must be treated in advance.
Forecast
In case of timelySeeing a doctor and conducting adequate therapy is not difficult to cure an esophageal ulcer - two to three months will be enough for a complete recovery. If the disease has become chronic, healing may take several years.
Increasingly, the population acquires such a defect in the gastrointestinal mucosa as an esophageal ulcer. Symptoms, treatment (folk remedies, medicines, surgery) are described in detail in the medical literature, which simplifies the diagnosis of the deviation.
With proper therapy, an ulcer is not a dangerous disease - in a fairly short time, the functions of the esophagus will fully recover, and the symptoms will disappear. Sufficiently effective in the non-started form of the pathology is an unconventional treatment with herbal remedies, aimed at healing the irritated and inflamed mucosa of the organ. Sometimes folk methods are combined with medical and even surgical ones.
