Symptoms Of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic disease of the esophageal lining associated with food allergies. Eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, respond to an allergen and begin to collect on the walls of the esophagus. They produce a protein that causes inflammation inside the esophagus. This inflammation leads to scar tissue, constricted esophagus, and the growth of extra tissue. Eosinophilic esophagitisis most commonly found in males living in a dry or cold region and can cause heartburn, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, pain in the upper abdomen, and vomiting and regurgitation. It can only definitively be diagnosed by endoscopy and biopsy of the esophagus.