Esophageal varices are abnormal, enlarged veins in the tube that connects throat and stomach (esophagus). This condition occurs most often in people with serious liver diseases.

Esophageal varices develop when normal blood flow to the liver is blocked by a clot or scar tissue in the liver. To go around the blockages, blood flows into smaller blood vessels that aren't designed to carry large volumes of blood. The vessels can leak blood or even rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding.

SYMPTOMS OF ESOPHAGEAL VARICES

Esophageal varices usually don't cause signs and symptoms unless they bleed. Signs and symptoms of bleeding esophageal varices include:

• Vomiting large amounts of blood
• Black, tarry or bloody stool
• Mild headache
• Loss of consciousness in severe cases
• Yellow coloration of skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Easy bleeding or bruising
• Fluid buildup in abdomen (ascites)

CAUSES OF OESOPHAGEAL VARICES

Esophageal varices sometimes form when blood flow to liver is blocked, most often by scar tissue in the liver caused by liver disease. The blood flow begins to back up, increasing pressure within the large vein (portal vein) that carries blood to liver.

This increased pressure (portal hypertension) forces the blood to seek other pathways through smaller veins, such as those in the lowest part of the esophagus. These thin-walled veins balloon with the added blood. Sometimes the veins rupture and bleed.

Causes of esophageal varices include:

• Severe liver scarring (cirrhosis). A number of liver diseases — including hepatitis infection, alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver disease and a bile duct disorder called primary biliary cirrhosis — can result in cirrhosis.
• Blood clot (thrombosis). A blood clot in the portal vein or in a vein that feeds into the portal vein (splenic vein) can cause esophageal varices.
• Parasitic infection. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection found in parts of Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and East Asia. The parasite can damage the liver, as well as the lungs, intestine, bladder and other organs.

HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR OESOPHAGEAL VARICES

HAMAMELIS :- Useful for oesophageal varices when there is tendency to vomit blood.There is great prostration.There is swelling,enlargement and engogement of vessel.

Chelidonium Majus :- Useful for oesophageal varices when skin seems yellow.There isyellowish urine with white coloured stools.There is pain in liver and under right shoulder blade.also useful when there is fullnes and pressure felt in liver region.

Phosphorus :- useful for oesophageal varices where there is blood present in vomiting.There is bright red blood.very useful to control the symptoms of vomiting.

Leptandra :- Useful for oesophageal varices when there is black tarry stool.There is foetid smell.Also useful in shooting pain in liver with extreme prostration. 

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