Читать книгу The Esophagus - Группа авторов - Страница 15

Esophageal diseases can be congenital in etiology, or develop slowly and manifest symptoms later in life. They are also not “new world” diseases. Heartburn was described in the first century AD by the naturalist Pliny the Elder, who recommended the use of coral powder, which contains calcium carbonate. Galen, a Greek who became one of the Roman Empire’s most famous physicians, first described esophagitis in the second century AD [1]. Now, over 2000 years later, esophageal diseases continue to be a significant source of symptoms for patients worldwide. These symptoms not only span geographic borders, but also account for significant healthcare utilization in the form of ambulatory care clinic visits, over‐the‐counter and prescription medication usage, endoscopic procedures, and, for some patients, surgical intervention. As the only gastrointestinal organ in the thoracic cavity, the esophagus is unique in that not only may diseases manifest as more straightforward typical symptoms, but there can also be significant overlap with symptoms that emanate from adjacent organs, which may be cardiac, pulmonary, or otolaryngologic in etiology.

In this chapter, we will start with a description of esophageal anatomy and how esophageal symptoms may develop. This will be followed by a discussion of the most common symptoms that are attributed to the esophagus. Lastly, we will address the effect that esophageal symptoms have on the patient’s quality of life (QoL).