- May 20th 2024 01:53
About our Business
Barrett's
Esophagus was first diagnosed by Norman Rupert Barrett (1903-1979) He was
educated at Eton and
The cells
of the lining of the esophagus are normally flat and are known as “squamous
cells.” In Barrett's Esophagus the cells have changed to a more rectangular
type of cell called a “columnar cell” which is the same type of cell found in
your stomach.
The only
way to tell if you have Barrett's is have an endoscopy done at the doctor's or
other health professional's office. If the doctor sees something that looks
suspicious, he or she will take biopsies from your esophagus and send them to the lab for testing.
If the test
comes back positive then you will have to be re-tested every few months, so the doctor can monitor
the condition.
Although
the medical community doesn't know the exact cause of Barrett's Esophagus, it
is believed to be linked to the acidic stomach gases which have constantly
refluxed into the esophagus. The stomach has a lining which protects it from
the stomach acid but your esophagus does not, so the constant assault of
stomach acid on your esophagus may cause the cells in the lining of the
esophagus to change, resembling the acid resisting columnar cells present in
your stomach.
The human
body is amazing and has the ability to heal its self given the right help,
and this just might be nature's way of
protecting the esophagus from any more damage, simply by changing the cell
structure so it can tolerate the refluxed stomach acid.
The majority
of people never experience any pain with esophageal cancer until the cancer has
spread to their lymph nodes or other organs, so let your doctor monitor the
situation if you have been diagnosed with Barrett's. Although the chance of
Barrett's Esophagus developing into cancer is very small (around 1-1 1/2%) why take chances with your health?
If the
health community is in agreement that reflux just might be one factor that is
causing Barrett's Esophagus, then one of the most important things you can do
is find out the exact cause of your reflux and then stop your acid reflux from
occuring. Once you do this you will halt the constant assault of acidic stomach
gases that just might be causing more damage to the delicate cells of your
esophagus.