Esophageal disorders affect the esophagus, a tube in the digestive system that carries food from a person's mouth to the stomach. People can experience various types of esophageal disorders, including achalasia, Barrett’s esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis, and hiatal hernias. However, the most common is gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD).

GERD occurs when the esophageal sphincter, a muscle at the bottom of the esophagus, malfunctions. This allows stomach acid to regularly flow back into the esophagus, causing inflammation, irritation, and discomfort. Due to this backwash, also known as acid reflux, a person with GERD will have symptoms like heartburn, nausea, sore throat, chest pain, and difficulty swallowing. If left untreated, chronic GERD increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer and can cause significant damage to the esophagus.

The development of gastrointestinal reflux disease stems from multiple variables, such as obesity, smoking, and pregnancy. GERD can also result from a diet heavy in chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and fatty foods. Changing one's diet, eating fewer meals, quitting smoking, and drinking less alcohol are common lifestyle changes used to treat GERD.

For more severe cases of GERD, surgery may be an option in addition to over-the-counter or prescription medicines to control stomach acid production.