Esophageal Cancer Symptoms And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease


Acid reflux, also known heartburn, is the burning sensation you can feel in your chest or throat after you eat certain foods. Most people have almost certainly experienced acid reflux at least once in their lives.

However, if you face chronic acid reflux (acid reflux that occurs two or more times per week) you may be at risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

The stomach normally generates large acid as well as enzymes to aid digest food. In some people, acid may flee from the stomach up into the lower part of the esophagus. The medical term for this is gastroesophageal reflux syndrome (GERD), or just reflux. In several people, reflux causes symptoms such as heartburn or pain that seem to come from the middle of the chest. In some, though, reflux doesn’t cause any symptoms at entire.

People with GERD have a slightly higher risk of obtaining adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. This danger seems to be higher in people who have more common symptoms. But GERD is very common; as well as several people who have it do not go on to develop esophageal cancer. GERD may also cause Barrett’s esophagus (discussed below), which is linked to an even higher risk. Acid reflux foods to avoid High-fat foods, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit and many more.

Can acid reflux lead to esophageal cancer?

Doctors aren’t sure why, however people who experience recurrent acid reflux are at a little increased risk for esophageal cancer. Acid reflux causes stomach acid to splash up as well as into the lower portion of your esophagus. While your stomach has a lining that guard it from the acid, your esophagus doesn’t. This means that the acid may cause damage to the tissue cells in your esophagus.

Sometimes the tissue damage from acid reflux may lead to a situation called Barrett’s esophagus. This state causes the tissue in your esophagus to be replaced with tissue similar to what’s found in the intestinal lining. Sometimes these cells develop into precancerous cells.

However, people who have both GERD as well as esophagus are more likely to develop esophageal cancer than people who only have GERD.

Even though Barrett’s esophagus is connected with a higher risk of esophageal cancer, the enormous majority of people who have this circumstance never develop esophageal cancer.

What are the Esophageal Cancer Symptoms?

The most general symptom of esophageal cancer is difficulty swallowing, which is also recognized as dysphagia. This difficulty tends to worsen as the tumor increases as well as obstructs more of the esophagus.

Some people also face pain when they swallow, naturally while the lump of food passes the tumor.

Difficulty swallowing may also lead to unintentional weight loss. This is mainly because it’s harder to eat, but some people also notice a reduce in appetite or an increase in metabolism because of the cancer.

Other possible symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

·         chronic cough
·         bleeding in the esophagus
·         hoarseness
       an raise in indigestion or heartburn

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