What Is Barrett’s Esophagus?
Barrett’s esophagus is a condition of the esophagus. The esophagus is the muscular tube the connects the stomach and the mouth. Barrett’s esophagus describes the condition of the changing of the tissue cells of the esophagus to be more like those of the intestine. No symptoms or signs are known to be associated with Barrett’s esophagus, but it is often found in patients suffering from acid reflux disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD.
Barrett’s Esophagus affects about 1% of people in the USA. A small portion go on to develop a deadly cancer of the esophagus. Determining the onset of the condition can be difficult but the average age of diagnosis is 50 years old. Most doctors recommend patients who are over 40 years old and suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) be tested for Barrett’s esophagus.
Each year, 1% of those with Barratt’s esophagus develop esophageal cancer, known as esophageal adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately esophageal adenocarcinoma is not often detected and diagnosed until it’s late stages when is can be difficult to treat. If you have Barrett’s Esophagus, it may be a number of years before any esophageal cancer develops.
Testing for Barrett’s esophagus is done by performing an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy to obtain biopsies of the esophagus. The patient is sedated. The doctor inserts a flexible tube into the patient called an endoscope which has a light and camera down into the esophagus. If there appears to be any suspicious tissue the doctor will remove several small pieces of tissue using a pincher type device that passes through the endoscope. A pathologist will examine the tissue samples under a microscope to make a diagnosis. Detection of pre-cancerous cells in the esophagus called dysplasia are difficult to find and multiple biopsies must be performed to ensure nothing is missed.
Barrett’s esophagus biopsies are reported using readings of negative, indefinite, low-grade dysplasia or high-grade dysplasia. Terms like mild dysplasia and severe dysplasia are no longer widely accepted by pathologists that are experts in gastrointestinal problems.
The cause of Barrett’s Esophagus is not known but gastroesophageal reflux disease is considered a risk factor. However people who do not have GERD can still develop this disease. Those with GERD are 3 to 5 times more likely to have Barrett’s Esophagus than those who do not.
As Barrett’s esophagus is often found in people with GERD, natural health remedies should be used to successfully treat GERD and acid reflux symptoms. A GERD diet low in acidic foods and natural GERD remedies can make you feel better fast.
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