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What Is Esophageal Stricture & How Is It Treated?

Tightness in the throat is a familiar sensation for some. It can be an uncomfortable, painful, and even frightening feeling. Sometimes, the tightness is short-lived and may be attributed to anxiety or an allergic reaction. However, persistent tightness that worsens over time may be the result of esophageal stricture. Conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) may cause damage to the esophageal tissue over time, resulting in a buildup of scar tissue that makes swallowing progressively more difficult. Even in the case of benign esophageal stricture, treatment should still be sought. Not only will the tightness worsen over time, but the underlying issue that is leading to your throat tightness…

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 What to Know About Esophageal Stricture

Digestive disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are the most common causes of esophageal stricture. Strictures can also result from other medical conditions. Esophageal strictures are usually treated with a dilation procedure that widens the esophagus and relieves symptoms.

Articles of Interest

An Overview of Esophageal Strictures

Simple esophageal strictures are most common and are less than 2 centimeters (cm) long. Complex strictures are often longer, resistant to treatment, and recurrent. The average esophagus usually measures up to 30 millimeters (mm) across. With a symptomatic esophageal stricture, the esophagus often measures 13 mm or less across. Less severe strictures may not always cause symptoms.

Esophageal Stricture

if you consistently have trouble swallowing, it may indicate a more severe condition like an esophageal stricture. Patients often complain of difficulty swallowing items such as meat, bread, and clumpy rice.

Understanding Esophageal Stricture

Do you suffer from frequent heartburn and indigestion? Do you sometimes regurgitate food or liquids? Have you lost weight without trying? Do you have trouble swallowing when you are eating and sometimes feel as though food has gotten stuck in your chest? Are you increasingly fearful of eating? If these symptoms describe you, you could have an esophageal stricture. Here is what you need to know about this potentially dangerous condition.

When Swallowing Food Becomes a Problem

Whenever she ate solid food, it seemed to stick in her chest and not go down. The symptom is called dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, and it is a surprisingly common problem, especially among people over 50. But what was the cause? Other symptoms -- including dry eyes, dry mouth and teeth that mysteriously rotted and broke -- were important clues leading to a diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome, one of dozens of disorders that can make swallowing solids or liquids a problem.

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4 Signs You’re Dealing with an Esophageal Stricture

Also called dysphagia, problems swallowing is a common symptom associated with esophageal stricture. Narrowing of your esophagus makes it harder for food (and even liquids) to pass, resulting in uncomfortable symptoms when eating and drinking.

Radiopaedia

The term peptic stricture refers specifically to those benign esophageal strictures caused by chronic acid reflux, although some incorrectly use it more loosely to refer to any benign esophageal narrowing. The qualifying word "esophageal" is usually omitted as strictures due to acid elsewhere in the gut are very rare.

StatPearls

An esophageal stricture refers to the abnormal narrowing of the esophageal lumen; it often presents as dysphagia, commonly described by patients as difficulty swallowing. It is a serious sequela to many different disease processes and underlying etiologies. Its recognition and management should be prompt. Stricture formation can be due to inflammation, fibrosis, or neoplasia involving the esophagus and often posing damage to the mucosa and/or submucosa.