Who develops Barretts esophagus?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) GERD causes Barrett’s esophagus. The esophagus is a muscular tube that is located in the chest and serves to transfer food from the mouth to the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a valve that is located at the junction of the stomach with the esophagus . Its function is to prevent acid and other contents of the stomach from coming back into the esophagus. GERD is a condition in which excessive acid-containing fluid refluxes (flows) back into the esophagus, in part because the lower esophageal sphincter is weak. The weakness of the LES may be related, in part, to the fact that virtually all GERD patients have hiatal hernia. In hiatal hernia, the upper few centimeters of the stomach slides back and forth between the abdomen and the chest through the diaphragm. This sliding may interfere with how the sphincter works as a barrier to reflux from the stomach to the esophagus. Previously, the term hernia was used instead of GERD in explain
