The Ring of Schaztki is a fine, fibrous band that is developed in the lower esophagus. It constricts the food pipe causing one to feel that he/she is swallowing food into a small tunnel. This ring may be small but when it accumulates without treatment, it may lead to discomfort or blockage of food.
Symptoms often include:
The formation of the Ring of Schaztki may be caused by a number of factors:
GastroDoxs is dedicated to patient-centered care and extensive esophageal well-being options, which is why the facility offers the best diagnostics and treatment of the Ring of Schaztki and accompanying swallowing disorders. The personalized treatment, which is caring and empathetic, will guarantee your long-term relief and high quality of life. Tired of difficulty and pain with swallowing? Make an Appointment Now with our Jersey Village gastroenterologist-your comfort and health come first!
We've successfully treated more than 1.5K patients, helping individuals improve their digestive health and overall well-being through expert, personalized care.
With over 20 years of experience, GastroDoxs has been a trusted provider of gastroenterology care, focusing on delivering the best outcomes for patients
Dr. Bharat Pothuri is a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist. With extensive experience in digestive health, he specializes in advanced endoscopic procedures, chronic GI disorder management, and preventive care. Dr. Pothuri is dedicated to providing expert, patient-focused insights to help improve gut health and overall well-being.
Yes. The patients complain of chest or throat pain especially on swallowing solid foods because of the shrunken esophagus passage.
Difficulty in swallowing happens when larger or ill-chewed food boluses entrap the constriction of the ring and the food gets stuck or trapped between the chest.
No. Although both deal with the making of the esophagus narrow, an esophageal stricture is a scarred area that is longer as compared to Schatzki rings which is a thin band that is fiber-like.
The Ring of Schatzki is generally diagnosed with the help of the X-ray on a barium swallow or the upper endoscopy that provides the direct sight of the ring.
Symptoms can be improved with such dietary manipulations as taking smaller bites, chewing well, preventing trigger foods, treating acid reflux, however, they might not substitute medical interventions like dilation.
The duration of relief against dilation will range between a few months and years and this depends on the factors of each individual, repeat procedures are safe and are usually done in case of recurrence of the symptoms.
Endoscopic dilation is considered to be quite safe, and such complications as minor blood loss, short-term side effects, and esophageal piercing occur only in very infrequent situations.
Yes. The uncontrolled acid reflux may stimulate the growth of scar tissue that would result in the ring reoccurrence in the long-term; acid suppression therapy would diminish the likelihood.
Gastroenterologists should be consulted in case you have persistent swallowing problems, pains in the chest during meals, often regurgitate, or experience unexplainable weight loss.
The majority of the cases are successfully treated with endoscopic dilation and the acid-control drugs; surgery is hardly ever needed and is only performed in highly complicated or recalcitrant cases.
