People with eosinophilic esophagitis have a buildup of a type of allergy cells called eosinophils (ee-eh-SIN-eh-fils) in their esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). This buildup leads to inflammation (irritation and swelling) in the esophagus, which can cause trouble with eating and swallowing, chest pain, heartburn, belly pain, and vomiting.

Symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis (ee-eh-sin-eh-FIL-ik eh-sof-eh-JYE-tis) often improve with treatment.

• Help your child take any medicines as prescribed by your health care provider. This may include antacids and corticosteroids taken by mouth. These help with symptoms and ease inflammation in the esophagus.
• Follow your health care provider's recommendation for dietary changes, such as:
  • avoiding foods that are common causes of allergy or inflammation (milk, egg, soy, wheat, nuts, fish, shellfish)
  • avoiding foods that allergy testing showed a reaction to
  • trying a special liquid diet that has no allergens in it
• Work with a dietitian to make sure your child gets the nutrients needed to grow and thrive.
• Follow your health care provider's instructions on follow-up visits and procedures.

Your child:

• gets white spots in their mouth or throat. These could be due to a fungal infection from certain medicines and needs treatment.
• has new or worse symptoms
• is vomiting often, isn't eating, or seems to be losing weight

What causes eosinophilic esophagitis? It's not always clear why eosinophilic esophagitis happens. Some people develop it due to an allergic reaction to foods or something in the environment. But it also can happen in someone with no history of allergies. It's more common in people who have other allergy-related conditions, such as food allergies, asthma, and eczema.

What long-term problems can happen? In some people, eosinophilic esophagitis can lead to:

• food impaction (when food gets stuck in the esophagus)
• scarring and narrowing of the esophagus (called a stricture)
• tears in the esophagus