What is esophageal erythema?

As people's living standards improve, the pace of life accelerates, and the pressure of life becomes greater and greater, many diseases arise naturally. Some time ago, I found that my throat was very sore and the pain was unbearable, so I went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said that there were red spots in the esophagus, which were a symptom of esophagitis, and gave me a lot of anti-inflammatory drugs. In our daily life, we should also pay attention to eating more light food, drinking more water, and not eating fishy and spicy food to irritate the esophagus.

Esophagitis is caused by inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, which damages the mucosa and leads to local erythema. The pain of esophagitis can radiate to the back. Give drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion such as omeprazole, cimetidine, and drugs that promote gastric motility such as metoclopramide. At the same time, you need to raise the head of the bed, avoid spicy and irritating foods, do not overeat, etc.

Treatment and nursing of esophagitis

The principle of treatment is to reduce the reflux of gastric contents, reduce the irritation of refluxed materials, and improve the function of the lower esophageal sphincter.

(1) Reduce reflux: Since reflux is more likely to occur at night when the patient is in a horizontal position with the head low and the feet high, the head of the bed should be raised so that there is an inclined slope from the head to the foot of the bed. This way, even if reflux occurs, it can be eliminated quickly. Advise the patient not to eat before bedtime, and the interval between dinner and bedtime should be extended to more than 3 hours. Have the patient sit in an upright position or take a walk after each meal to allow gravity to help promote food emptying. In addition, avoid eating irritating foods and avoid strenuous exercise.

(2) Reduce the irritation of reflux: To reduce the irritation of reflux, you can take drugs such as cimetidine and ranitidine, which can inhibit and reduce gastric acid secretion. You can also use Losec 20 mg once a night. You can also take 10 ml of aluminum hydroxide gel orally 3 times a day to reduce the irritation of gastric acid.

(3) Improve the function of the lower esophageal sphincter: Taking metoclopramide or metoclopramide 15 to 30 minutes before meals can increase the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter, accelerate gastric emptying, and reduce reflux. Cisapride, a new gastrointestinal motility drug, can also be used.

(4) Eating more light foods can reduce the chance of reflux, while foods that are significantly irritating to the gastric mucosa may increase the secretion of gastric juice, causing a significant increase in the main reflux products such as gastric acid in the stomach. Therefore, you should avoid eating irritating foods, or eat less foods that delay gastric emptying, and eat more light, soft and easily digestible foods.

(5) It is best not to eat before going to bed. The interval between dinner and going to bed should be extended to more than 3 hours. After a meal, you should sit in an upright position or take a walk, but avoid strenuous exercise. Reflux usually occurs more often at night, so the head of the bed should be raised so that there is an inclined slope from the head to the foot of the bed, so that even if reflux occurs, it can be eliminated quickly.