Oct 20, 2020
Our guest today is once again Lita Tomas, one of our co-hosts. Lita has suffered with GERD for most of her adult life (as you learned in S6E19) This year's upper endoscopy showed damage to the esophagus from the chronic acid backflow. She now has a new diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus.
Barrett's esophagus is a potentially 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. About 10% of people with chronic symptoms of GERD develop Barrett's esophagus.
Barrett's esophagus does not have any specific symptoms, although patients with Barrett's esophagus may have symptoms related to GERD. It does, though, increase the risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is a serious, potentially fatal cancer of the esophagus. (WebMD)