Definition
The word esophageal narrowing actually explains itself. The oesophagus becomes narrowed, which means that food can no longer be adequately transported to the stomach. Mostly the lower part of the esophagus is affected.
As a rule, middle-aged people between 40 and 50 are affected by a narrowing of the esophagus. A narrowing of the esophagus can have various causes. Often, a triggering underlying disease plays a role.
Causes of a narrowing of the esophagus
A narrowing of the esophagus very often occurs in connection with reflux disease (heartburn). A reflux disease results in an increased production of stomach acid. Normally, the stomach acid should not leave the stomach, but in reflux disease, stomach acid flows back into the esophagus.
The mucous membrane of the esophagus, unlike that of the stomach, is not designed for the aggressive acid, so that the mucous membrane is increasingly damaged. The mucous membrane reacts to the gastric acid through an inflammatory reaction, which can lead to a narrowing of the esophagus. An inflammation of the esophagus can also be caused by bacteria or other pathogens.
Another cause of esophageal narrowing can be a tumor that narrows the diameter of the esophagus. If there are symptoms of a narrowing of the esophagus, a tumor must always be ruled out as the cause. An enlarged thyroid gland can also put pressure on the esophagus and lead to a narrowing.
If the esophagus is cauterized or if the esophagus has undergone previous surgery, a scar may develop which also narrows the diameter of the esophagus. In rare cases, a congenital malformation of the esophagus can also lead to a narrowing of the esophagus. If there is a certain form of esophageal narrowing, it is also known as achalasia.
The esophagus has two sphincters. The lower sphincter can close the esophagus to the stomach and, among other things, ensures that stomach acid does not flow back into the esophagus. In achalasia, the cause of the narrowing is that the lower sphincter is permanently tense.
As a result, the muscle does not relax and it is more difficult to empty the food into the stomach. The lack of relaxation of the muscle is caused by a loss of nerve tissue. Why this happens is not yet clear.
Reactively, achalasia leads to an enlargement of the section of the stomach located above the oesophageal sphincter, as food accumulates there and there is increased pressure. The chronic consumption of alcohol leads to an inflammatory reaction in the stomach and the esophagus. If an inflammation occurs, the cells have to renew themselves more often, which means an increased risk of cell degeneration, i.e. an increased risk of cancer.
In addition, alcohol makes the mucous membrane more sensitive to toxic substances, which can also promote the development of cancer. The damaging effect of alcohol depends mainly on the amount of alcohol and not on the type of alcohol. The resulting inflammation causes the esophagus to become increasingly narrow.
If cancer does indeed develop due to high alcohol consumption, the narrowing of the esophagus is self-explanatory. Furthermore, alcohol makes the esophagus less flexible and leads to a relaxation of the sphincter muscle so that it is easier for stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus, which also triggers an inflammatory reaction. Due to these effects of alcohol, alcoholics are affected by a narrowing of the esophagus with above-average frequency.
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