Medical: Oesophagus
- Esophageal pain
- Esophageal cancer
- Reflux Heartburn
- Throat
- Esophageal cancer
Introduction
The causes of pain in and around the oesophagus depend on the particular clinical picture. Below you will find a number of causes of pain in the esophagus. There can be a variety of causes for oesophageal pain. In order to draw conclusions about the underlying disease, it is therefore all the more important to pay attention to other symptoms. Among the most common diseases are:
- Reflux disease (synonym: reflux esophagitis, heartburn)
- Achalasia
- Tumors of the esophagus (esophageal carcinoma)
- Esophageal diverticula
- Narrowing of the esophagus
- Esophagitis
Diagnosis
The most important stage in the diagnosis of esophageal pain is the detailed doctor-patient consultation (anamnesis). During this conversation it should be clarified when the pain in the esophagus mainly occurs and whether there is a connection to food intake. In addition, the doctor will ask the patient about other symptoms such as fever, difficulty swallowing, foreign body sensation, secretion of blood and general complaints.
The regular intake of medication should also be disclosed at this time. This is followed by a physical examination to check, for example, the size and swallowing ability of the thyroid gland (enlargements of thyroid tissue can also lead to pain in the esophagus and difficulty swallowing). If the findings are unclear, imaging procedures can then be initiated.
For the diagnosis of oesophageal pain, the endoscopic examination of the oesophagus and stomach plays an important role. In this procedure, changes in the mucous membranes can be detected and tissue samples taken if necessary. In addition, a so-called pH-metry should be carried out.
In this way, it is possible to measure the concentration of gastric acid in the area of the esophagus. The mobility of the esophagus and the density of the lower sphincter muscle can be determined by manometry. If the presence of achalasia with pain is suspected, an X-ray of the esophagus should be purposeful.
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