Where is Schatzki ring located?

A Schatzki’s ring is a ring of tissue that forms inside the esophagus, the tube that carries food and liquid to your stomach. This ring makes the esophagus narrow in one area, close to where it meets the stomach.

What are the symptoms of a Schatzki ring problem?

The main symptom is trouble swallowing, or dysphagia. You can have: Trouble swallowing pills, meat, and chewy foods. Trouble swallowing large bites.

What is Schatzki ring associated with?

“Steakhouse syndrome” is often associated with a Schatzki ring, occurring when under-chewed meat gets stuck in the esophagus, which causes severe chest pain. If food impaction occurs, individuals will experience odynophagia, defined as painful swallowing.

How do you manage a Schatzki ring?

There is no cure for Schatzki rings. Treatment and management of the condition include procedures that will stretch or fracture the rings, which will allow solid food to pass through the esophagus more freely. Schatzki rings can be stretched or fractured with endoscopes or tapered dilators inserted through the mouth.

What does it mean if you have rings in your esophagus?

A Schatzki ring is a circular band of mucosal tissue that can form at the end of the food pipe closest to the stomach. The ring of tissue causes the food pipe, or esophagus, to narrow. When a ring forms, a person may have no symptoms. Or, they may have difficulty swallowing, which the medical community calls dysphagia.

Is a Schatzki ring a stricture?

Schatzki ring is a benign stricture and when symptomatic can be effectively treated. The patient often does well, and symptoms improve after treatment.

Can a Schatzki ring be cancerous?

Schatzki rings are not cancerous, and they are usually harmless. Changing the diet and patterns of eating can help with symptoms.

What does a Schatzki ring feel like?

Many people who have a Schatzki ring often don’t experience any symptoms. Those who do periodically feel difficulty swallowing solid foods. In some cases, you may feel as if food is sticking in your chest after swallowing. Many times, the food can be regurgitated.

Do Schatzki rings get worse?

When a ring forms, a person may have no symptoms. Or, they may have difficulty swallowing, which the medical community calls dysphagia. The difficulty may get worse when a person eats dry bread or meat. Schatzki rings are not cancerous, and they are usually harmless.

What causes rings in your esophagus?

The etiology of lower esophageal rings is controversial; the leading theories are that they are congenital, or caused by acid reflux or pill-induced esophagitis. These rings cause intermittent dysphagia. The condition results from impeded transport of liquids, solids, or both from the pharynx to the stomach.