Esophageal Strictures

Esophageal strictures are narrowings in the esophagus that cause food to get stuck. These typically occur from inflammation or scar tissue formation related to reflux, Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), radiation, and sometimes cancer.

Symptoms of esophageal strictures include:

• Difficulty swallowing or food getting stuck
• Regurgitation of food

Esophageal strictures can be diagnosed with an EGD or upper endoscopy, where a flexible camera is used to look at your esophagus. They can also be diagnosed using a barium esophagram, which is a study where X-rays and contrast are used to examine your esophagus for narrowing from these strictures.

Esophageal strictures are typically treated with special tools that your doctor will use when doing your EGD or upper endoscopy. These tools include balloons and dilators to open the narrowing to improve your swallowing ability.