How to Cure Esophagitis

Medically reviewed by Michael Warner, MD

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Experts say that esophagitis is the inflammation of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from your mouth into your stomach.^{[1]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} When the sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach is weakened, it opens up to allow acid into your esophagus, causing pain and irritation. Researchers note that if you have been diagnosed with esophagitis, it is very important that you treat it quickly for a better chance of a full recovery.^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} However, the approach to your treatment will depend on the cause of the esophagitis, so you should talk with your doctor before starting treatment.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Treating Esophagitis Caused by Reflux

1
Know that acid reflux is the most common cause of esophagitis.^{[3]
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Research source} This is when stomach acid flows upward into your esophagus causing irritation to the bottom of the esophagus. Common symptoms include:
- Pain with swallowing
- Difficulty swallowing, particularly solid foods
- Heartburn
- A cough
- Occasionally nausea or vomiting, a fever, or abdominal pain.^{[4]
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2
Remove any trigger foods from your diet. Acid reflux is often brought on by foods that are causing your stomach and esophagus duress--these foods are also known as trigger foods. Try removing these foods from your diet to see if your reflux will benefit. If you want to try this method, don’t remove only one food at a time; there is commonly more than one trigger food, and it will be hard to figure out which foods are harming you. Instead, remove all of the trigger foods for at least two weeks, then add back one food at a time every three days; any foods that cause reflux symptoms should be permanently removed from the diet, or greatly limited.^{[5]
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Levine MS, Macones AJ Jr, Laufer I. Candida esophagitis: accuracy of radiographic diagnosis. Radiology. Mar 1985;154(3):581-7}
- Common trigger foods include caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, peppermint, tomatoes, oranges, spicy foods, and high-fat foods.
- It is also better to eat smaller more frequent meals rather than larger meals.^{[6]
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  Research source} This can help to diminish feelings of heartburn.
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3
Quit smoking. If you are a smoker, now may be the time to consider quitting or at least cutting back. Smoking has been shown to contribute to esophageal disease, including feelings of heartburn.^{[7]
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Research source} Speak to your doctor if you would like support in quitting smoking (including the option for nicotine replacement and/or medications such as Wellbutrin that can diminish cravings).
4
Lose weight. Being overweight or obese has also been correlated to increased heartburn, so now may be the time to get our for a walk each day and to begin an exercise program.^{[8]
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Research source} Weight loss is not only helpful for your esophageal problems, but also benefits your overall health and wellbeing in many other ways.
- Speak to your physician if you would like support or guidance getting started on an exercise program, and always consult your doctor first if you are worried you may have any health restrictions that hold you back from exercise.
5
Remain upright for at least 30 minutes after eating. When you have a big meal and then lie down, it makes digesting the food much more difficult. If your esophagus is damaged, there is also a much larger chance that acids from your stomach will leak back up to your esophagus when you lie down.^{[9]
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Research source
Graman PS. Esophagitis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 94}
- If you find you have symptoms of heartburn at night, it can be helpful to raise the head of your bed of to sleep with more pillows.^{[10]
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  Research source} Elevating your head more while you sleep keeps you in a more upright position, which can significantly diminish feelings of heartburn.
6
Take over-the-counter reflux medication. Tums is a good first choice, and if this doesn't work for you there are stronger options available over-the-counter as well.^{[11]
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- Another option is something called Zantac (Ranitidine), which is an "H2 anti-histamine."^{[12]
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- You can also try Prilosec (omeprazole), which is a "proton pump inhibitor" and helps to diminish the acid in your stomach so that any reflux becomes less irritating to the esophagus.^{[13]
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7
Monitor how long you take these over-the-counter medications for. If you are taking any of these over-the-counter medications for two weeks or more, make sure to visit your doctor and tell him or her about the medication use. If your reflux is still occurring after changing your diet and using the over-the-counter medications, visit your physician for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
- At this point, your physician may offer you stronger prescription anti-reflux medications to help with your esophagitis. (examples)^{[14]
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- It is also key to establish the correct diagnosis, for different diagnoses require different forms of treatment.^{[15]
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  Research source} This is why it is key to see your doctor if you do not notice any improvement on over-the-counter medications.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Treating Esophagitis Caused by Medication

1
Drink a full glass of water when you take the medication. If you are suffering from esophagitis because of a medication you are taking, you may be able to combat the problem by drinking a full glass of water when taking the pill. Sometimes, “pill esophagitis” is due to the medication remaining in the esophagus for a period of time and irritating it, rather than passing directly to the stomach.^{[16]
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Research source
Brown-Whitehorn TF, Spergel JM. The link between allergies and eosinophilic esophagitis: implications for management strategies. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. Jan 1, 2010; 6(1): 101.}
- Another option is to opt for a liquid form of the medication you are taking, rather than pill form, if it is available in liquid form as well.^{[17]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} This can help to reduce pill-related symptoms of esophagitis.
- It is also advised to sit or stand for at least 30 minutes after taking your pill. Lying down immediately after has been shown to increase symptoms of heartburn.^{[18]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
2
Talk to your doctor about finding an alternative prescription. If drinking a glass of water with each pill does not work, you may need to stop taking this prescription and start on a different treatment plan. It is very important that you talk to your doctor before you stop taking your treatment.
- Many medical conditions are able to be treated with more than one type of medication; speak to your doctor if alternate treatments are available that are less irritating to the esophagus.^{[19]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
3
Stop taking over-the-counter pain killers. If you are taking aspirin or NSAIDs on a regular basis and are suffering from esophagitis, you should stop taking these. Visit your physician first, to make a plan for stopping the medications gradually; stopping them suddenly may cause “rebound” inflammation and pain, while slowly weaning off of them can avoid this situation. You should also discuss the symptoms that caused you to be taking these medications, so that a diagnosis and an alternate treatment plan can be devised.^{[20]
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- Over-the-counter pain killers have been reported to cause increased symptoms of heartburn in some patients, which is why it is important to be careful about taking these and to consult your doctor if you think they may be worsening your condition.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Treating Eosinophilic or Infectious Esophagitis

1
Take "topical oral steroids" to treat eosinophilic esophagitis.^{[21]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Eosinophilic esophagitis is brought on by an allergic reaction to a food that you are allergic to. The allergic reaction causes your esophagus to become inflamed and damaged.
- Steroid medication helps to reduce or eliminate unnecessary immune reactions such as occurs with eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Similarly to how inhaled steroids are used to treat asthma, "topical oral steroids" are thought to coat the surface of your GI tract in a way that prevents irritation.^{[22]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- The other advantage of "topical oral steroids" is that they are not absorbed into your bloodstream, so you avoid the typical side effects of steroid medications.^{[23]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
2
Have your doctor do an allergy test to treat eosinophilic esophagitis.^{[24]
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Research source
Graman PS. Esophagitis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 94} Oftentimes the culprit for eosinophilic esophagitis is an adverse allergic reaction to a particular food. In order to determine the "culprit food," it is recommended to remove suspicious foods from your diet (your doctor can tell you which foods are most likely to be culprits), and to add them back in slowly, monitoring for any reactions or signs of heartburn.^{[25]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- It is important to add back only one food at a time, otherwise you will not be able to tell which one caused you symptoms of heartburn.
3
Treat the organism causing infectious esophagitis. For infectious esophagitis, medications will be prescribed according to the organism causing the infection.^{[26]
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- If it is yeast Candida, the treatment is fluconazole or an echinocandin. The chosen medication depends on the strain of Candida and on the individual patient, including how ill he or she is, whether other illnesses are also present, allergies, and other factors.
- If the patient has a viral esophagitis, acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir will be prescribed. Again, the particular choice depends on the patient and on the virus.
- If it is caused by a bacteria, antibiotics will be prescribed.^{[27]
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  Mayo Clinic
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  Go to source}