Esophageal varices occur when the blood vessels in the lower portion of the esophagus become distended with blood. The esophagus is the tube that leads from the throat to the stomach, and varices often occur at the lower end, close to the stomach....
Cirrhosis refers to toughening, or fibrosis, of the liver. Many different conditions lead to cirrhosis, including alcohol dependence and hepatitis. The symptoms of cirrhosis are a result of reduced functioning of the liver as well as mechanical...
Conditions associated with too much acid in the esophagus are generally treated with antacids. Antacids are helpful in providing temporary relief by neutralizing stomach acid but don't do anything to heal an already damaged esophagus....
Perhaps the most important way to manage cirrhosis, a condition that results from liver disease, is to remove all substances that make the condition worse. Cirrhosis is irreversible, but you can slow down its progression with proper treatment. If...
An esophageal stricture is a structural narrowing of the esophagus, the muscular tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach. The narrowing of this tube leads to difficulties in swallowing and, sometimes, pain and regurgitation. If...
When you swallow, food passes through your esophagus to your stomach. Heartburn and gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are the most common esophageal disorders, but a bruised esophagus can also cause tremendous pain when you eat....
Esophageal varices are abnormal enlarged veins in the lower part of the esophagus and they are common in people with cirrhosis of the liver and severe heart failure, according to MayoClinic.com. You can rupture a blood vessel in your esophagus...
Strictures, an abnormal narrowing, can affect any vessel, duct or passageway in the body. Symptoms, diagnostic techniques and treatments vary, depending on the location and the amount of limitation caused by the stricture. The seriousness of a...
Esophageal variceal sclerotherapy is a procedure used to treat bleeding from esophageal varices. A gastroenterologist performs sclerotherapy by using an endoscope to visualized the varices and injecting a sclerosing solution into the vein to stop...
Cirrhosis refers to a disease process affecting the liver and is usually the result of chronic damage to the liver. The chronic damage results in liver scarring, and this scarring can disrupt the structure of the liver and its many functions. A...
Much controversy often surrounds the safety of herbal supplements. Because the FDA does not regulate the safety, purity and efficacy of these supplements, the products vary widely with respect to quality standards. Herbalists have used black...
Around 4 million Americans have hepatitis C, a viral infection that can cause liver failure. Between 55 and 85 percent of those infected with the virus develop chronic infection, and 75 percent of people with chronic infection will develop chronic...
According to MedlinePlus, myelofibrosis refers to a serious condition where your bone marrow is replaced with scar tissue. Your bone marrow is located in the inner core of your bones and is responsible for producing the many blood cells in your...
Extensive cancer cell growth within the liver can irreparably damage this vital organ. Sadly, nearly 20,000 patients with liver carcinoma, or cancer, died from this condition in 2009, according to the National Cancer Institute. Patients who...
Drinking a glass of alcohol with each meal is no cause for concern until the consumption of alcohol becomes excessive. According to MedlinePlus, alcoholism develops when a person develops a physical and psychological addiction to the drink....
Esophageal hemorrhage occurs when varices (enlarged veins) in the esophagus bleed extensively, according to the online medical library Merck Manuals. Merck Manuals reports that the primary cause of varices is cirrhosis of the liver, which is where...
MedlinePlus, an online medical encyclopedia maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reports that alcoholism is a disease characterized by four features relating to alcohol: craving, loss of control, physical dependence and high...
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can occur for various reasons. Conditions that deplete your body of iron can cause iron deficiency anemia, a condition that results when you have too few red blood cells. Iron deficiency causes a range of symptoms...
Ethanol is one of the most widely available and abused drugs worldwide. In moderate amounts it is generally well tolerated, however, in excessive amounts it has serious physical and psychological effects. The burden of alcohol abuse is borne by...
Receptors called beta adrenergic receptors are found in the heart and the muscle that lines lungs, blood vessels and organs. Activation of these receptors by a hormone called epinephrine causes the arteries to contract and the heart to beat faster...
