Symptoms

Signs and symptoms include:

Adults:

• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Food getting stuck in the esophagus after swallowing (impaction)
• Chest pain that is often centrally located and does not respond to antacids
• Backflow of undigested food (regurgitation)

Children:

• Difficulty feeding, in infants
• Difficulty eating, in children
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Food getting stuck in the esophagus after swallowing (impaction)
• No response to GERD medication
• Failure to thrive (poor growth, malnutrition and weight loss)

When to see a doctor

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath or jaw or arm pain. These may be symptoms of a heart attack.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience severe or frequent eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms. If you take over-the-counter medications for heartburn more than twice a week, see your doctor.