What causes Barrett's esophagus?
Barrett's esophagus is caused by severe and chronic reflux of stomach and small intestinal contents into the esophagus. It is unclear why some patients with reflux of these contents develop Barrett’s esophagus whereas others do not. Recently, a number of risk factors have been defined for the development of Barrett's esophagus. Barrett's esophagus usually develops
from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Heartburn and acid reflux are the most common symptoms of GERD and result from stomach contents washing into the esophagus.
The ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and stomach (sphincter) normally traps acid in your stomach by clamping shut. GERD usually results from a weakened sphincter, and it can be aggravated by a protrusion of the upper stomach, where the esophagus passes through the diaphragm (hiatal hernia).
Physicians believe that most people who have Barrett's esophagus have a problem of chronic reflux of acid into the esophagus, which typically causes symptoms of heartburn. It is thought that 10 to 20 million people in the U.S. have acid reflux problems. Most of those people don't require special treatment for this condition. People who have severe reflux problems are more likely to have Barrett's esophagus. It is thought that up to 1 out of 10 people with severe reflux problems have Barrett's esophagus. |
