Therapeutic approaches to healing esophagitis

Medical therapy for reflux esophagitis is designed to provide symptom relief and esophageal healing, and to prevent complications. Life-style modifications serve as an adjunct to drug therapy. Sucralfate, prokinetic agents, and H2-receptor antagonists promote symptom relief and esophageal healing in mild esophagitis, but are less effective in the treatment of moderate to severe esophagitis. For patients with mild to severe (erosive) esophagitis, rapid symptom relief and esophageal healing have been achieved with proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole and lansoprazole.