Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Esophagitis

What Is It?

The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food through the chest, from the mouth to the stomach. Normally you don't feel it except when you are swallowing. However, if the inside lining of your esophagus becomes inflamed, you may experience pain or problems with swallowing. This inflammation of the esophagus is called esophagitis.

Esophagitis has several common causes:

• Acid reflux — By far the most common cause of esophagitis, acid reflux (also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD) is a backflow of digestive acid from the stomach, resulting in a chemical burn of the esophagus.

• Eating disorders — Like acid reflux, frequent vomiting can cause acid burn in the esophagus. Esophagitis sometimes is seen in people with eating disorders who make themselves vomit.

• Medications — Some common medications also can cause a chemical burn in the esophagus. Pills that are most likely to cause esophagitis include potassium, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or aspirin, osteoporosis medications such as alendronate (Fosamax) or risedronate (Actonel), iron supplements and quinidine (sold under several brand names).

• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer — Some of these treatments can injure the esophagus lining, resulting in esophagitis.

• Infections — Infections in the esophagus also can cause esophagitis. Only a few types of infection are common in the esophagus, and they usually do not occur if your immune system is normal. If your immune system is weakened, you may develop esophagitis from yeast (candidal esophagitis) or from viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) or herpes. Even in someone who already has a herpes infection, herpes rarely causes esophagitis if the immune system is normal. Esophagitis from infections is common in people who have HIV infection, use steroid medicines long-term, have had organ transplants, or have been treated with chemotherapy for cancer.