What is Esophageal Varices?
Bleeding esophageal varices are enlarged veins in the walls of the lower part of the esophagus (the tube that connects your throat to your stomach) that bleed. Esophageal varices will form when the blood flowing to your liver is blocked because of scar tissue. The blood flowing through the body and to the liver begins to back up which will increase pressure within the large vein that supplies blood to the liver. This pressure forces our blood to seek another route through smaller veins; some of those veins are in the lowest part of our esophagus. These small thin veins will balloon up because of the blood coming through them and because of this they can explode and bleed.
How Can You Get Esophageal Varices?
Portal Hypertension is a leading cause due to scarring of the liver which causes blood to back up in the portal vein – the vein that delivers blood from to stomach to our intestines to our liver. When pressure in this vein increases blood will
build up causing them to swell. Bleeding occurs because these veins have thin walls that aren’t capable of holding the high pressure. Therefore they can explode and cause life threatening bleeding.
Esophageal Varices are a complication of a liver disease called Cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver is long term damage in which the liver itself becomes covered with fat. The liver will try to repair itself but will fail because of damage and the new
growth of fat. This will limit the blood the liver is receiving to keep it healthy. The scarring which occurs in the liver cannot be repaired. It is a slow developing disease until eventually it will stop the liver from working.
Esophageal Varices occur often in those with this liver disease.
A blood clot – something which blocks the way of the blood flowing through your body is also what can cause Esophageal Varices.
Alcoholism - drinking alcohol so that it affects or takes over one’s daily life is known to cause social and personal problems but it is also responsible for a lot of physical damage in the body. The problem isn’t just consumption but the fact
that it is usually comes with malnutrition. Alcoholism is a huge increased risk for Esophageal Varices which is a dangerous condition that can develop. It could lead to uncontrolled bleeding into the esophagus. These are treated as an emergency because they can cause death if not treated. Many people with an end stage alcoholic liver can die because of this type of event. Alcoholism is a
huge underlying issue in Portal Hypertension, Cirrhosis and Blood clots.
What are Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Varices?
They usually do not have any signs or symptoms unless they explode and are actively bleeding. However your doctor may suspect you have them if you have any of the following signs: yellow color to your skin, reddening to your skin on the palm
of your hands, Spleen becomes swollen, fluid building up in your stomach and an area of tiny blood vessels on your skin shaped like a spider. However if they are bleeding you would expect: Vomiting up blood, black and bloody poop and your body could put itself into shock- which is when your body starts shutting down to save its energy. Varices can explode as a result of anything that increases
pressure in the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing and vomiting.
build up causing them to swell. Bleeding occurs because these veins have thin walls that aren’t capable of holding the high pressure. Therefore they can explode and cause life threatening bleeding.
Esophageal Varices are a complication of a liver disease called Cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver is long term damage in which the liver itself becomes covered with fat. The liver will try to repair itself but will fail because of damage and the new
growth of fat. This will limit the blood the liver is receiving to keep it healthy. The scarring which occurs in the liver cannot be repaired. It is a slow developing disease until eventually it will stop the liver from working.
Esophageal Varices occur often in those with this liver disease.
A blood clot – something which blocks the way of the blood flowing through your body is also what can cause Esophageal Varices.
Alcoholism - drinking alcohol so that it affects or takes over one’s daily life is known to cause social and personal problems but it is also responsible for a lot of physical damage in the body. The problem isn’t just consumption but the fact
that it is usually comes with malnutrition. Alcoholism is a huge increased risk for Esophageal Varices which is a dangerous condition that can develop. It could lead to uncontrolled bleeding into the esophagus. These are treated as an emergency because they can cause death if not treated. Many people with an end stage alcoholic liver can die because of this type of event. Alcoholism is a
huge underlying issue in Portal Hypertension, Cirrhosis and Blood clots.
What are Signs and Symptoms of Esophageal Varices?
They usually do not have any signs or symptoms unless they explode and are actively bleeding. However your doctor may suspect you have them if you have any of the following signs: yellow color to your skin, reddening to your skin on the palm
of your hands, Spleen becomes swollen, fluid building up in your stomach and an area of tiny blood vessels on your skin shaped like a spider. However if they are bleeding you would expect: Vomiting up blood, black and bloody poop and your body could put itself into shock- which is when your body starts shutting down to save its energy. Varices can explode as a result of anything that increases
pressure in the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing and vomiting.