What is esophageal varices?

4 May 2021

It is a condition in which the veins around the esophagus dilate due to excess blood flow from the stomach, which, unable to reach the heart, seeks other escape routes. These veins can break and bleed.

Here are some of the reasons why esophageal varices can develop:

Alterations in blood coagulation.
Serious liver diseases (hepatitis, cancer, cirrhosis, fatty liver, and primary biliary cirrhosis).
Schistosomiasis, which is a parasitic infection that can affect the liver and other organs.
Portal vein thrombosis.

Esophageal varices may bleed due to any of the following:

Uninterrupted alcohol consumption.
Portal hypertension.
Liver failure.
Cirrhosis.
Red streaks or dots in varicose veins.
Large varicose veins.

Signs and symptoms Esophageal varices

Esophageal varices usually do not cause symptoms, except when they rupture and cause bleeding, causing the following:

Anemia.
Ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen).
Lethargy.
Dark or bloody stools.
Bruising.
Jaundice.
Loss of consciousness.
Abundant blood vomiting.

The biggest risk is bleeding because if you have one, you will likely have another. So if you lose a lot of blood, you might go into shock and die.

Diagnosis and treatment Esophageal varices

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and request imaging studies such as:

Doppler ultrasound.
Gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Computed tomography of the abdomen.

The basic treatment consists of avoiding acute gastrointestinal bleeding by:

Complete alcohol abstention.
Placing bands on varices through an esophagoscopy.
Beta-blockers.

If bleeding has occurred, the important thing is to stop it and reverse the effects of blood loss by:

Elastic bands to hold bleeding veins.
Diversion of blood carried by the portal vein.
Medications to slow blood flow in the portal vein.
Pressure on the varices to stop the bleeding.
Blood transfusions to recover the lost volume.
Liver transplant.

You may be given antibiotics because there is a risk of infection.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Esophageal varices

Cancer Center
Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

worldgastroenterology.org
middlesexhealth.org
medlineplus.gov
mayoclinic.org
msdmanuals.com
topdoctors.es
medigraphic.com
Moreira BOM, Rodríguez FZ, Manzano HE, et al. Conocimientos vigentes en torno a la hemorragia digestiva alta varicosa. Rev Cub Med Mil. 2018;47(3):1-13.
Becerra IMÁ, Padrón AG, Manrique MA, et al. Ligadura endoscópica de várices esofágicas en el Servicio de Endoscopia del Hospital Juárez de México. Rev Hosp Jua Mex. 2000;67(4):157-163.
Ramírez-Del Pilar R, Yáñez-Montes MC, Enríquez-Peregrino KG, et al. Correlation between platelet/spleen index and esophageal varices degree. Med Int Mex. 2017;33(3):344-350.
Martínez LFY, Hidalgo ÁM, Galbán GJA, et al. Clinical-evolutionary relationship of patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices treated with propranolol for the prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding. Mediciego. 2016;22(Suppl: 1):1-12.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is esophageal varices?

Signs and symptoms Esophageal varices

Diagnosis and treatment Esophageal varices

Related centers and departments Esophageal varices

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Esophageal varices