What information do you have about esophageal varices and its treatment methods?

**As you know, the esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.** What do you know about the podcast about esophageal varices and its treatment methods? Listen:** **Esophageal varices are blood vessels in the esophagus that often occur in people with serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis.**

#### **What are the symptoms of esophageal varices?** **Esophageal varices have no symptoms until they are fully expanded.... But after symptoms appear, one of the symptoms can be bleeding.... Bleeding from esophageal varices includes the following:** - **vomiting blood** - **black and tar-like feces** - **Diarrhea-like feces with blood** - **Feeling a cold** - **Anesthesia** **If you also have liver disease and suffer from one of these symptoms, it is better to call an ambulance as soon as possible... It is even better not to drive yourself and ask someone to take you to the hospital.** ** **

What does nausea and vomiting mean?..

#### **Is there a test for esophageal varices?** **Yes....all people with cirrhosis should have an upper endoscopy to check for esophageal varices.** **In upper endoscopy, the doctor sends a thin and flexible tube from the mouth into the esophagus. This tube has a camera and light and allows the doctor to see the inside of the esophagus, stomach and part of the intestine.** **Sometimes the doctor does an endoscopy using a small capsule....you have to swallow the capsule and lie on your right side and drink water every thirty seconds....the capsule sends images of the esophagus and stomach to an external machine....then the doctor examines the images to see if there is a problem....if a person has cirrhosis, they should have an upper endoscopy every one to three years...then the doctor will check if Has a new varicose vein been created or not?. and whether the varicose veins are increasing or not.**..

#### **How is esophageal varices treated? **Treatments that reduce blood supply to varicose veins include:** - **use of beta blockers: these drugs are also used to treat high blood pressure, for example propranolol and nadolol** - **Weight loss if overweight** - **Avoid alcohol** **If you have esophageal variceal bleeding or the doctor suggests bleeding, an endoscopic procedure called esophageal variceal band closure is performed.** ** ** **This means that the doctor will use small rubber bands to stop the bleeding....Medications that reduce the amount of stomach acid may also be used to heal varicose veins.** **The doctor will tell you what drugs to take.. but the available drugs for this are:** - **omeprazole** - **Esomeprazole** - **lansoprazole** - **pantoprazole** **Varicose banding should be repeated every 2 to 8 weeks to completely remove the varicose veins....In rare cases, people with severe bleeding will need a procedure called TIPS.** **For this procedure, the doctor inserts a thin tube into the liver through the jugular vein. This tube helps the blood to flow easily in the liver. This reduces blood pressure in varicose veins and helps stop bleeding.**

#### **Can esophageal varices be prevented?** **Treatment of underlying liver diseases that cause cirrhosis can help prevent varicose veins.**

> Dr. Mehdi Afzal Aghaei, a specialist in digestive and liver diseases in Mashhad, supports your health. > > To make an appointment, you can call (051) 38704066 every day. > > Practice address: Mashhad - Kausar Boulevard - between 2nd and 4th Kausar - Farabi building - second floor **Gastroenterologist in Mashhad** ==================================== **\*Gastroenterologist in Mashhad\***