What are the symptoms of reflux esophagitis?

Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
Updated on December 18, 2024
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The main symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease include upper abdominal pain, chest pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting. A gastroscopy can reveal lesions on the esophageal mucosa, and if such damage is observed, a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease can be made. The severity of the lesions on the esophageal mucosa can be classified into four grades: A, B, C, and D, with grade A being the mildest and grade D the most severe. Treatment primarily involves acid suppression, promoting gastric motility, and repairing the mucosa. The treatment course usually lasts about six to eight weeks. Moreover, gastroesophageal reflux disease is closely related to poor gastric motility, so regular exercise is recommended. Exercise can enhance gastric motility and promote intestinal peristalsis, which plays a positive role in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
1min 12sec home-news-image

Is reflux esophagitis serious?

Reflux esophagitis can be observed during an endoscopy as changes in the esophageal mucosa, including hyperemia, edema, erosion, and ulcers. The severity is graded based on the size of the erosion and ulcers, with smaller areas indicating milder conditions and larger areas indicating more severe conditions. An endoscopy can definitively diagnose reflux esophagitis, whose main symptoms include upper abdominal pain, chest pain, belching, acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting. The treatment primarily involves acid suppression, protection of the stomach lining, and promoting gastric motility, with a treatment duration of about six to eight weeks. Dietary considerations include avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol, not consuming strong tea or coffee, and avoiding spicy, stimulating, fried, and barbecued foods that are difficult to digest.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What foods are good for gastroesophageal reflux disease?

For reflux esophagitis, it is recommended to have an easily digestible diet and avoid smoking and drinking. One should not consume strong tea, coffee, fatty, greasy, spicy, fried, grilled, cold, or sweet foods. It is also advised against consuming milk, soy milk, glutinous rice, sweet potatoes, etc., as these foods may promote gastric acid secretion, leading to further irritation of the esophageal mucosa and worsening reflux esophagitis. Some are also difficult to digest, so it is recommended to avoid them. You can consume porridge, such as lean meat porridge, chicken porridge, fish porridge, etc.; or soups, such as chicken soup, pork rib soup, etc.; you can also eat noodles. When eating meat, remember to cook it until it's very soft, and it is also advised to increase physical activity.

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Written by Wang Hui Jie
Gastroenterology
1min 6sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease?

The following are some symptoms: The most common and typical symptom is heartburn. It mainly manifests as a burning discomfort or pain behind the sternum and below the xiphoid process. This usually occurs about an hour after eating and may extend upward from the lower end of the sternum to the neck and between the shoulder blades, often accompanied by nausea. Another common symptom is acid reflux, which generally occurs more often on an empty stomach. Another symptom is chest pain, mainly caused by irritation of the esophageal mucosa leading to spasms. There is also difficulty swallowing, which is quite common; initially, it is often caused by a stress-induced spasm. In later stages, it is mostly due to the proliferation of fibrous tissue forming scars, leading to esophageal narrowing. Some less common symptoms include stomach bloating, pharyngitis, cough, asthma, and others.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Can people with reflux esophagitis drink alcohol occasionally?

People with reflux esophagitis should not drink alcohol, as it can irritate the stomach lining and exacerbate the symptoms of esophagitis, leading to frequent recurrences of the condition. If you have reflux esophagitis, you should primarily eat a bland diet, and avoid spicy and stimulating foods. It is also important to avoid alcohol, strong tea, coffee, and foods that are overly sweet, sour, spicy, too cold, or too hot. Normally, it is advisable to consume foods that are easy to digest and absorb and are generally light. Therefore, regular treatment is also crucial for those suffering from reflux esophagitis.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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What should I do if reflux esophagitis causes vomiting and choking?

Patients with reflux esophagitis who experience vomiting and choking is relatively rare. Once vomiting and choking occur, it is necessary for the patient to urgently lie on their side, quickly expel the contents of the stomach and mouth, and they may drink some water to keep the respiratory and digestive tracts clear. If the patient still experiences choking after these measures, it is recommended to urgently visit a hospital for treatment. The specific treatment plan will be determined by a doctor based on the situation. The main symptoms of reflux esophagitis include reflux and a burning sensation in the stomach, which are the most common and typical symptoms for patients.