Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE)
Eosinophilic (ee-uh-sin-uh-fil-ik) esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic/immune condition. In EoE, large numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils are in the tissue of the esophagus where normally there are no eosinophils in the esophagus.
Symptoms of EoE
- In infants and toddlers: refuse their food or are not growing properly.
- School-age children: recurring abdominal pain, trouble swallowing or vomiting.
- Teenagers and adults : difficulty swallowing, particularly dry or dense, solid foods. The esophagus can narrow and food gets stuck. This is called food impaction and it is a medical emergency.
*EoE is considered to be a chronic condition and is not outgrown.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Allergies
The majority of patients with EoE have allergies. EoE has also been shown to occur in other family members. Environmental allergies to substances such as dust mites, animals, pollen and molds can play a role in EoE. Food Allergies are the main cause of EoE in a large number of patients.
Currently the only way to diagnose EoE is with an endoscopy and biopsy of the esophagus.
- Testing Directed Diets
- Empiric Elimination Diets
- Elemental Diets
- Medical Therapy:
- Swallowing small doses of corticosteroids is the most common treatment.
- Proton pump inhibitors
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you'll need to manage long term.
Possible causes:
- Lactose intolerance
- Infections of the digestive tract
- Carbohydrate malabsorption
- Malabsorption syndromes (such as celiac disease or pancreatic insufficiency)
- Inflammatory bowel disease as in Crohn's disease (ulcerative colitis)
- Celiac disease
- Symptoms which suggest obstruction of the intestine, called intestinal pseudo-obstruction, as in diabetes or scleroderma
- Abuse of medications such as laxatives or bowel binders
- Psychiatric disorders (such as depression, anxiety or somatization disorder)
- Endocrine disorders (such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes or Addison’s disease)
- Certain rare endocrine tumors (such as gastrinomas or carcinoid tumors)
- Carcinomas of the intestine
Food allergies are a rare cause of IBS.