Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) can be best described as a condition that results in the inflammation of the esophagus. In 2015, the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine defined this particular illness as a systemic condition and as a result of that finding, the condition is often misdiagnosed and treated for gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
The misnomer can be attributed to white blood cells known as eosinophils that build up in the esophagus. This buildup of cells which aren’t meant to be there due mostly to allergies or irritation that cause inflammation at the beginning of the digestive system and make it hard to eat for example, because the muscles that allow for peristalsis no longer work as intended. Eosinophilic esophagitis is further complicated by the fact that it affects people of all ages, with children and teens more prone to experiencing abdominal pains and vomiting, and adults finding difficulty to swallow, for example. Here are 8 lifestyle changes to treat eosinophilic esophagitis:
1. A Change In Diet
Food is a large contributor to how people suffering from eosinophilic esophagitis view and handle the disease. The type of food consumed plays a significant role in the level of discomfort that is felt. Studies from the division of gastroenterology and hepatology from the University of North Carolina, have found that a change in diet, involving the removal of certain foods from a person’s eating habits partially or completely can lead to improvements of up to 71% in suffers from the disease.
This is due, in part, to the leading theory surrounding eosinophilic esophagitis which is its causation via allergen. The use of skin and blood tests can determine what foods cause or aggravate EoE and therefore allow for such foods to be removed from a person’s diet completely. Another possible solution to be explored is the removal of all foods that could potentially cause problems and then introduce foods back into the diet up until the culprit is found.
