Diseases

Barrette’s Esophagus

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Barrett's esophagus is a serious complication of gerd, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. In barrett's esophagus, normal tissue lining the esophagus -- the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach -- changes to tissue that resembles the lining of the intestine.

SYMPTOMS

Frequent heartburn and chest pain are symptoms, but many people with barrett’s oesophagus have no symptoms.

CAUSES

It's believed that the cells in the esophagus can becomeabnormal with long-term exposure to stomach acid. Barrett's esophagus can develop without gerd, but patients with gerd are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop barrett's esophagus. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of people with gerd develop barrett's esophagus.