Ever heard of a burn on the esophagus?!
Question:
My husband has acid reflux and last week he started getting severe pain while swallowing and diffuculty breathing. He went to the ER because of the breathing problem and they referred him to a surgeon. He went today for a throat scope. The doctor told us that it looked like there was a burn in the middle of his esophagus and that he had not seen this before. They did a biopsy(which scared my hubby) and told him to take vicodin for the pain and to come back in two weeks to see if the symptoms have improved. If they haven't then they will have to do another scope. Has anyone ever heard of this before?
Answers:
I once threw up part of my gullet after eating too many Easter eggs when I was a bit younger than I am now (no I don't mean earlier this week, I mean years ago). I couldn't eat or drink for a couple of days but it started to get better very rapidly after a few days. And a trip to hospital to go on a drip. It was quite scary not being able to eat or drink, even tho I was hungry and thirsty. Ultimately it was not life changing, I still eat far too much chocolate at Easter, although generally I don't eat it at any other time of year. It wasn't a burn, but it can't be that different, right?
I'll also add that I think it was increased acidity in my stomach that made me sick in the first place.
Other Answers:
No
Yes and it is very painful and that is the greatest danger of acid reflux. Our stomachs and esophagus have a very thin lining of protection and it does not take much for acid to eat away at it. Acid reflux can also cause damage to the vocal cords as well. I had laryngitis for almost three months due to damage of acid reflux. I had to stop drink caffeine and eating foods with high acid content.
Answers: