Diagnosis

The diagnosis often is made based on your symptoms. The most accurate way to check for esophagitis is for a gastroenterologist to look directly at the inside of the esophagus with a video camera called an endoscope. The endoscope has a camera at the end of a flexible, plastic-coated tube. This tube is long enough to reach through the stomach to the first portion of the intestine (duodenum), so the procedure is sometimes called esophagogastroduodenoscopy or EGD. Using the endoscope, the gastroenterologist can see evidence of injury from esophagitis, such as areas where the lining of the esophagus has worn away (called erosions or ulcers), blisters or scarred areas. Some infections leave a deposit on the esophagus walls that can be sampled through the endoscope by using a remote-controlled brush. In some cases the doctor will biopsy the esophagus by snipping a small sample of the inside lining through the end of the endoscope. This tissue is examined under a microscope.

Since esophagitis is only one of the things that can cause symptoms of chest pain or swallowing problems, your doctor may order other tests to evaluate your heart, lungs or digestive tract.

Expected Duration

How long symptoms last depends on how easily their cause can be eliminated. Bad cases of reflux or resistant viruses, for example, might require several tries before the right medicine or treatment is found. In most cases, symptoms begin to improve within a few days of starting the right treatment, but it can take weeks for symptoms to go away completely. Esophagitis from infections is harder to cure if the immune system is severely weakened.

Prevention

The most common cause of esophagitis, acid reflux, sometimes can be prevented by some very simple measures:

• Avoid heavy meals, especially within several hours of bedtime

• Cut out cigarettes and alcohol

• Avoid large amounts of caffeine, chocolate, peppermint and high-fat foods.

• Control your weight.

If you have heartburn despite these measures, your doctor may suggest you take a preventative acid-blocking medicine.

All prescription and nonprescription pills should be taken while you are upright and should be swallowed with water. This is especially important for the medicines that frequently cause esophagitis.