What is Barrett's Esophagus?

Barrett's esophagus is a condition of the esophagus. The
esophagus is the muscular tube the connects the stomach and
the mouth. Barrett's esophagus describes the condition of the
changing of the tissue cells of the esophagus to be more like
those of the intestine. No symptoms or signs are known to be
associated with Barrett's esophagus, but it is often found in
patients suffering from acid reflux disease and
gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD.

Barrett's Esophagus affects about 1% of people in the USA. A
small portion go on to develop a deadly cancer of the
esophagus. Determining the onset of the condition can be
difficult but the average age of diagnosis is 50 years old. Most
doctors recommend patients who are over 40 years old and
suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) be tested
for Barrett's esophagus.

Each year, 1% of those with Barratt's esophagus develop
esophagal cancer, known as esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Unfortunately esophageal adenocarcinoma is not often
detected and diagnosed until it's late stages when is can be
difficult to treat. If you have Barrett's Esophagus, it may be a
number of years before any esophagal cancer develops.

Testing for Barrett's esophagus is done by performing an upper
gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy to obtain biopsies of the
esophagus. The patient is sedated. The doctor inserts a
flexible tube into the patient called an endoscope which has a
light and camera down into the esophagus. If there appears to
be any suspicious tissue the doctor will remove several small
pieces of tissue using a pincher type device that passes
through the endoscope. A pathologist will examine the tissue
samples under a microscope to make a diagnosis. Detection of
pre-cancerous cells in the esophagus called dysplasia are
difficult to find and multiple biopsies must be performed to
ensure nothing is missed.

Barrett's esophagus biopsies are reported using readings of
negative, indefinite, low-grade dysplasia or high-grade
dysplasia. Terms like mild dysplasia and severe dysplasia are no
longer widely accepted by pathologists that are experts in
gastrointestinal problems.

The cause of Barrett's Esophagus is not known but
gastroesophageal reflux disease is considered a risk factor.
However people who do not have GERD can still develop this
disease. Those with GERD are 3 to 5 times more likely to have
Barrett's Esophagus than those who do not.

As Barrett's esophagus is often found in people with GERD,
natural health remedies should be used to successfully treat
GERD and acid reflux symptoms. A GERD diet low in acidic foods
and natural GERD remedies can make you fee better fast.