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Having difficulty swallowing certain foods? You may have a condition called EoE.
Eosinophilic esophagitis can be hard to say, and it can be even harder to live with. EoE is a condition where your esophagus gets inflamed and can narrow over time. This narrowing can lead to a variety of daily symptoms, like painful and difficult swallowing, food getting stuck, and chest pains.
Dramatization of symptoms
Symptoms of EoE, like food getting stuck, can make eating feel like a daily worry. Adults and teenagers often have trouble swallowing solid foods, particularly those that are dry or dense. Symptoms in children vary. They may include vomiting, abdominal pain, reduced appetite, or insufficient weight gain.
The sooner you recognize them, the sooner you can find out if you have EoE.
Dramatization of symptoms
Other conditions have similar symptoms, but EoE is different.
EoE isn't a typical food allergy, acid reflux disease, heartburn, or an eating disorder caused by anxiety. EoE symptoms can be similar to these more common conditions. That's why it's often mistaken for something else.
With allergies, reactions like sneezing or hives happen right away. But with EoE, symptoms can be delayed for days. This makes it harder to know what's triggering your symptoms. Plus, many people with EoE also have food or medicine allergies, dermatitis, or asthma, which share overlapping symptoms.
People with EoE have a large number of cells called eosinophils in their esophagus. Normally, eosinophils are not found there. Eosinophils and other triggers are what cause chronic inflammation in the esophagus. This chronic inflammation can do damage to the structure of your esophagus, causing swelling, scarring, and narrowing (called strictures).
The damage from chronic inflammation can make your EoE symptoms get worse. The longer this inflammation goes untreated, the more damage it can do to your esophagus over time. That's why it's important to know if you have EoE. Speak to your doctor about your symptoms and whether a diagnostic endoscopy is appropriate for you.
An endoscopy is a medical procedure where a flexible tube containing a light source and a camera lens is passed down the esophagus so a doctor can see if the esophagus is inflamed. Performing an upper endoscopy with biopsies of the esophagus is necessary to diagnose EoE.
