Esophagitis is a disease of the digestive system which, especially in recent decades, is spreading at an alarming rate, especially in the West, until you hit a nearly three-Italian, mostly women and ranging in age about sixty years, although often occurs during pregnancy or in infants. As shown in the Greek etymology of the word, esophagitis is an inflammation in esophagus, ie the channel, through a valve called the "cardia", allows the passage of food into the stomach. More specifically, it comes true every time on esophagitis esophageal mucosa can be traced, with appropriate tests (including today should be assigned a leading role at gastroscopy), injuries of varying severity, ranging from small wounds to erosions and ulcers in size also very worrying. The lesions are caused by material carried from the corrosive acid that, for a malfunction of the cardia, dates from the stomach into the esophagus. When, in fact, just above the valve does not close immediately after the transit food, a part of it, together with gastric juices and acids produced by the stomach to aid digestion dates back into the esophagus, an organ that does not have systems that can neutralize and render harmless these substances and corrosive acid. The causes that determine the onset of the disease may be different and their real impact has not yet been proven in a scientific way, it has been proved, however, that may be caused by infection, radiation therapy, by repeated use of certain types of drugs (a type of analgesic), from poisoning by intake of caustic substances by the presence of hiatal hernia or abuse of irritating substances such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, chocolate or fatty foods too. The factor that causes esophagitis with a greater statistical frequency of any other cause, however, is the "gastroesophageal reflux", a widespread disease that, in approximately 40% of cases, is associated with actual or esophagitis As mentioned, a actual injury along the wall of the esophagus. As for the typical symptoms of esophagitis, heartburn are those characteristic sternum and a sense of acidity, which starts from the pit of the stomach and spreads to the mouth, where, immediately after a meal, you may experience the phenomena of reflux of bile and gastric juices, and ascent to a portion of food along the esophagus. Often repeated belching cause spasms that often stimulate regurgitation of acid substances. In some cases, are also found less typical symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty swallowing and even events such as chronic cough, laryngitis, ear bleeding or discomfort. To prevent reflux of gastric juice through the valve is sufficient, often, change accordingly, so that the lifestyle: stop smoking, avoid foods and spicy condiments, or at least irritating seen before, and chew your food slowly , preferring a few meals not excessive. And 'advisable, then, do not lie down immediately after a meal, especially if abundant, and, conversely, walking too short to help digestion. We must not wear girdles or tight clothing at the waist or lifting weights or do, however, continued efforts with the torso forward, which would further increase pressure on the abdomen and then the return of food to the mouth. For individuals who experience more severe symptoms after dinner, is usually of great help to raise the head of the bed a few inches, so that the torso is slightly higher than the lower limbs. If the adoption of preventive precautions mentioned can not alone solve the problem, the doctor usually prescribes certain drugs that tend to reduce the reflux or make it safe for mucous membranes of the esophagus. The medicines most used today are the so-called "proton pump inhibitors, which tend to decrease the production of gastric juices, while less frequently used is the so-called" Prokinetic "substances such as metoclopramide, domperidone and levosulpiride, which improves the tone and thus the operation of the cardia, the valve that allows the proper flow of food and regular emptying of the stomach. The milder drugs, used for the most part, when the disease is not serious, are the so-called "antacids," which reduce the corrosive power of bile and acidity. It will be the specialist to determine whether taking a drug is necessary only when necessary or even very long periods. Even when drug therapy works, we can only be remedied by surgery, which has the main purpose of affixing an artificial barrier height of the cardia, to prevent gastroesophageal reflux, the most common methods of plastic to there is now one called "Dor" or to "Nissen-Rossetti." In conclusion, the emphasis on the possible complications due to esophagitis is not treated in time. First, the scars left from wounds along the esophagus may be a source of a narrowing of the esophagus, namely the so-called "stenosis" malattia piuttosto grave dell’apparato digerente. Ma la complicanza più temibile che, peraltro, sopravviene ben nel 10% circa dei casi di esofagite, è il c.d. “esofago di Barrett”. Quest’ultima patologia si verifica allorché le cellule che compongono la parete dell’esofago, per tentare di difendersi dagli attacchi degli acidi gastrici, mutano la loro essenza fino a trasformarsi in cellule che, similmente a quelle che compongono lo stomaco, sono capaci di neutralizzare e rendere inoffensive le sostanze biliari. Tale modificazione cellulare, tuttavia, è una condizione preoccupante perché aumenta sensibilmente il rischio di tumori all’esofago.
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