Am I at risk of esophageal cancer?
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hi, I know this is no substitute for an examination by a doctor, but I just wanted help sorting my thoughts and hopefully gain some insight on my situation.
I'm 21-years-old, 5'8" (173 cm) and 133 lbs (60.3 kg) and have had this weird symptom where I swallow air (or it could be burping/belching) multiple times during a long walk or right after I eat something. This has been going on for the past two years. I sleep literally right after eating and have a lot of cheese in my diet. I was wondering if I'm at risk of esophageal cancer and, if I am, roughly how long it would take before I actually got it? Thanks in advance for any insight.
0 likes, 2 replies
AlanJM Guest
Posted
I wonder if it is the cheese fermenting in your system somehow?
?There is a tendency to feel sleepy after eating because of the osmotic effect of water balancing up in the digestion system.
?Oesophageal cancer is predominantly a disease that affects people over 50 years of age statistically, but the warning signs would be pain or actual difficulty in swallowing. Whjivh does not mean that younger people do not develop the disease, but this is rare. There are two main types of oesophageal cancer. Squamous cell, which tends to be higher up towards your throat; and adenocarcinoma that is associated with persistent heartburn and Barrett's oesophagus.
?My inclination would be to look carefully at your diet and cut out the dairy products for two or three weeks to see if that makes a difference to you. You could try having tests for allergies or sensitivities to certain things. Try keeping a food diary and noting any problems or changes. Do you drink alcohol in quantity?
?Try and ensure that you relax at and after meals as this may help your digestion to work better.
?If there is something to do with the process of swallowing (eg like a pouch in your oesophagus that collects food, saliva etc) a barium swallow test may help to confirm or disprove things.
I do not think you have described potential cancer as such, but it does sound that your digestive system is reacting to something and a trip to the doctor would be the prudent thing to do to investigate what might be the cause.
Guest AlanJM
Posted
No, I don't drink or smoke. I tried cutting out the dairy products in my diet for a month; nothing changed. Another change I've made is that I've been taking Nexium for the past two weeks now. I sometimes have difficulty swallowing, but I'm thinking that's because I sometimes eat too quickly.