Reflux Esophagitis
It is one of the most common conditions related with the acid peptic ailments suffered in today’s stressful life. It is an inflammation of the esophagus, the food pipe, which leads to the ulceration and at times stenosis, produced by the regurgitation of the acid-peptic juice from the stomach.
A mild form of esophagitis may occur after repeated episodes of vomiting, but usually it subsides when the vomiting episodes are relieved. The most common cause is the repeated regurgitation of gastric juice, which occurs due to the lack of sphincteric action in patients with hiatus hernia. It is yet not clear, how the cardiac sphincter, the upper end of the stomach, functions but much of its efficacy is lost when herniation occurs.
The common manifestations include – heartburn, which is felt behind the chest bone [sternum] and which may be accompanied by regurgitation of fluid in the mouth. The heartburn may occur after meals, but it more typically associated with change of posture, like bending down at work or lifting or straining. It may also occur at night on lying down, obtain relief by sitting up.
If it is associated with duodenal ulcer, the pain will appear once again at around 2 to 3 am.
The patient also complains of a severe pain or a strange sensation of food sticking in the food pipe, which is also called as dysphagia. This can be misdiagnosed as angina pain due to its location and severity.
Occult bleeding may occur in few cases, which may lead to anemia – thus adding its own symptoms to the existing ones. These symptoms include failure to gain weight, weakness and breathlessness on exertion. Severe hematemesis [vomiting of blood] from esophagitis is rare.
The condition is usually diagnosed by radiological imaging. The next step would be the endoscopic evaluation of the extent of the lesion and the imaging of the inner lining of the stomach.
In mild cases, the recovery is mostly satisfactory. Rarely, it may lead to stagnation and degeneration; while in severe cases, there can be a perforation of the esophagus due to corroding of its inner lining by the peptic acid leading to fatal resultant.
The most commonly used homeopathic medicines are Belladonna for the initial inflammatory stage, Mercurius, Naja for the spasmodic stricture, Phosphorus to relieve the burning pain, Veratrum album where the patient presents with coldness and collapse, and Nux vomica the most common anti-acidic medicine used by homeopathic physicians.
