EoE stands for Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which is a chronic disease of the esophagus. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach. EoE is characterized by eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, building up in the lining of the esophagus. Researchers are not certain about the exact cause of EoE, but they think that it is an immune system/allergic reaction to foods or to substances in the environment, such as dust mites, animal dander, pollen, and molds. Certain genes may also play a role in EoE.

Symptoms of EoE vary from person to person and may include trouble swallowing, chest pain or heartburn, abdominal pain, vomiting, food getting stuck in the throat due to narrowing, and stunted growth or poor weight gain in children. People with atopic dermatitis, asthma, or food or environmental allergies have a much greater chance of developing EoE.

There is no cure for EoE, but treatments can manage symptoms and prevent further damage. The two main types of treatments are medicines and diet. Medicines used to treat EoE are steroids, which can help control inflammation, and acid suppressors such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which may help with reflux symptoms and decrease inflammation. Dietary changes for EoE include an elimination diet, where certain foods and beverages are stopped for several weeks, and if the patient feels better, the foods are added back to the diet one at a time.

EoE is diagnosed by evaluating each patients symptoms, whether the patients symptoms improve while undergoing EoE treatment, and signs of EoE found during an endoscopy. Children with EoE usually show high numbers of eosinophils in the esophageal tissue.