What was actually causing my BB (Update)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 3:56 pm
I've explained that wheat and oat gluten were the culprit. This post describes the symptoms which I've encountered. I have overcome them completely and positively. I avoid all forms of wheat and gluten containing foods, I avoid milk and cheeses appart from mozzarella and feta. I also naturally don't have a sweet tooth and avoid sweets and other surgary foods (breeding ground for bacteria in the mouth).
(Quoted from the internet)
Eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus. Symptoms are swallowing difficulty, food impaction, and heartburn. The disease was first described in children but occurs in adults as well. Food allergy may play a significant role.
Treatment strategies include dietary modification to exclude food allergens, medical therapy, and mechanical dilatation of the esophagus (I recently found out my Great uncle had this done, and my Great Grandmother had a lot of trouble swallowing her food). The initial approach to the disorder is often allergy evaluation in an attempt to identify the allergens in the diet or environment that may be triggering the disease. If the offending agent is found, the diet is modified so that these allergens are eliminated. There are cases, especially in children, where there are multiple food allergies involved.
EE is a chronic disease associated with an elevated count of eosinophils in the esophagus. Normally, very few or no eosinophils are present in this upper digestive organ. In the past, patients with EE were incorrectly diagnosed as GERD suffererers. These patients were typically prescribed proton pump inhibitors, under the assumption that their problem was caused by excess stomach acid. However, researchers have since discovered that EE patients often have a normal pH in their GI tract. The symptoms of GERD and EE are often similar, and this makes the diagnosis more difficult. But when a patient suffering from esophageal discomfort tests normal from an esophageal pH monitoring, GERD is eliminated as a possible cause and EE becomes the main suspect. In fact, GERD patients may also show an elevated count of eosinophils, but this elevation is much lower than in EE patients.
More recently, researchers have begun looking for links between EE and autoimmune diseases. Some EE patients suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis or respiratory conditions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis. At this time, there appears to be no proven link between EE and esophageal cancer.
(Quoted from the internet)
Eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus. Symptoms are swallowing difficulty, food impaction, and heartburn. The disease was first described in children but occurs in adults as well. Food allergy may play a significant role.
Treatment strategies include dietary modification to exclude food allergens, medical therapy, and mechanical dilatation of the esophagus (I recently found out my Great uncle had this done, and my Great Grandmother had a lot of trouble swallowing her food). The initial approach to the disorder is often allergy evaluation in an attempt to identify the allergens in the diet or environment that may be triggering the disease. If the offending agent is found, the diet is modified so that these allergens are eliminated. There are cases, especially in children, where there are multiple food allergies involved.
EE is a chronic disease associated with an elevated count of eosinophils in the esophagus. Normally, very few or no eosinophils are present in this upper digestive organ. In the past, patients with EE were incorrectly diagnosed as GERD suffererers. These patients were typically prescribed proton pump inhibitors, under the assumption that their problem was caused by excess stomach acid. However, researchers have since discovered that EE patients often have a normal pH in their GI tract. The symptoms of GERD and EE are often similar, and this makes the diagnosis more difficult. But when a patient suffering from esophageal discomfort tests normal from an esophageal pH monitoring, GERD is eliminated as a possible cause and EE becomes the main suspect. In fact, GERD patients may also show an elevated count of eosinophils, but this elevation is much lower than in EE patients.
More recently, researchers have begun looking for links between EE and autoimmune diseases. Some EE patients suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis or respiratory conditions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis. At this time, there appears to be no proven link between EE and esophageal cancer.