Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Houston, TX

The symptoms associated with eosinophilic esophagitis may differ between children and adult patients. The primary symptoms for adults may include:

• No response to acid reflux medication
• Food blocking the esophagus when eating
• Persistent or occasional acid reflux
• Pain in the chest
• Pain in the upper stomach
• Struggle with swallowing (dysphagia)
• Cough

The main symptoms for children can include:

• Pain in the stomach or abdomen
• Difficulty eating (children)
• Poor growth, unexplained loss of weight, malnutrition
• Vomiting
• Impaction (food blockage in the esophagus)
• Struggles feeding (infants)
• Dysphagia

If you or your child are dealing with these symptoms in any combination, or require over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn medication more often than twice a week, contact us to request an appointment with a Gastroenterology Consultants gastrointestinal provider immediately.

Treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis with our Houston, TX GI specialists mostly focuses on addressing the associated symptoms. In the event that you are managing symptoms resulting from food allergies. your gastroenterologist will likely suggest that you abstain from the consumption of triggering foods. Patients are commonly directed to adhere to the six-food elimination diet (SFED), holding out wheat, milk, eggs, nuts, soy, fish, and shellfish from their diet for some indicated amount of time. Symptoms during this time are examined closely, and individual foods are slowly reintroduced to the diet to identify which foods are triggering the response. Certain medications may be prescribed such as a proton pump inhibitor or topical steroids. If symptoms continue to persist, your physician may recommend esophageal dilation. Dilation is a treatment to help stretch your esophagus to lessen difficulty when swallowing.