How does eosinophilic esophagitis cause dysphagia?
Eosinophilic esophagitis decreases the ability of the esophagus to stretch and accommodate mouthfuls of swallowed food. As a result, solid foods (particularly steak, turkey, and chicken) will have difficulty passing through the esophagus. When solid food sticks in the esophagus, it causes an uncomfortable sensation in the chest, referred to as dysphagia. If the solid food then passes into the stomach, the discomfort subsides, and the individual can resume eating. If the solid food does not pass into the stomach, individuals often must regurgitate the food by inducing vomiting before they can resume eating. Rarely, the solid food becomes impacted, that is, it can neither pass into the stomach or be regurgitated. The impacted solid food causes chest pain that can mimic a heart attack and repeated spitting of saliva that cannot be swallowed (because of the obstruction of the esophagus). Individuals with impacted food are unable to eat or drink. To relieve the obstruction, a doctor usually
