732-636-8844 njallergy@gmail.com

EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS

EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS

Resource Center: Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis, or EoE, is a complex inflammatory disorder in which a type of white blood cell, the eosinophil, infiltrates the esophagus. Under normal circumstances, there are virtually no eosinophils found in the esophagus.

EoE can be very difficult to diagnose as the symptoms vary by age and can be quite non-specific. 
– Infants and toddlers may refuse to eat and have difficulty gaining weight.
– School-age children may experience abdominal pain or have a hard time swallowing. They may have frequent vomiting as well. 
– Adults often feel that food is getting stuck as they eat and they may compensate for this by chewing their food for a long time and/or drinking a lot of water to help the food “go down.”

How is it diagnosed?

In general, definitive diagnosis requires an endoscopy with esophageal biopsies.

How do allergies play a role?

Food allergy- the most commonly associated foods are MILK, egg, soy, and wheat. Your allergist can test you to see what you are allergic to, however, since EoE is a complex disease, it is not always easy to pinpoint a triggering food.
Environmental allergy- although not well documented, some patients with significant pollen allergy may note that their EoE is exacerbated by change in season.

How is this treated?

It varies by the patient and their disease but, in general, diet modification and proton pump inhibitors are used for first-line treatment.

Some patients with severe inflammation may require swallowed corticosteroid therapy.

Contact Us

1030 St. Georges Avenue, Suite 200
Avenel, New Jersey 07001 [map]
In the “Eastern Dental Building”

(p) 732-636-8844 (f) 732-634-3498
njallergy@gmail.com

Office Hours

  • Tuesdays (1:00pm - 6:00pm)
  • Thursdays (1:00pm - 6:00pm)

We accept same-day appointments (based on availability).