What to know about esophagitis after Kim Kardashian reveals diagnosis in new 'Kardashians' trailer
Kim Kardashian shared a health update in the official trailer for season 8 of "The Kardashians," released Thursday.
In the clip, the SKIMS founder and television personality reveals she was diagnosed with a condition esophagitis.
"I have something called esophagitis," Kardashian says in the trailer.
Afterward, someone brings up her late father, Robert Kardashian, asking her, "Didn't your father -- isn't it what he died of?"
Kardashian replies, "Yeah."
The rest of the trailer appears to show Kardashian's family reacting to news of her diagnosis. In one clip, her mother, Kris Jenner, is seen saying, "I can't, it makes me want to cry."
What is esophagitis?
Esophagitis is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus -- the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach -- becomes swollen, inflamed or irritated, according to MedlinePlus, an online health resource run by the National Library of Medicine.
The condition is "often caused by stomach fluid that flows back into the food pipe," also called gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD, according to MedlinePlus.
Symptoms of esophagitis can include coughing, difficulty or painful swallowing, heartburn, hoarseness and sore throat.
Alcohol use, cigarette smoking, surgery or radiation to the chest, vomiting, lying down after eating a large meal, and obesity can increase the risk of developing esophagitis, MedlinePlus states.
Taking medicines like potassium tablets, vitamin C and more without drinking lots of water can also increase a person's risk.
Treatment for esophagitis "depends on the cause," according to MedlinePlus but can include medications to reduce stomach acid; "antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals to treat different infections"; medication to coat the lining of the esophagus in order to treat "damage related to pills"; and diet changes.
"Most of the time, the disorders that cause swelling and inflammation of the food pipe, respond to treatment," MedlinePlus states.
What did Robert Kardashian die from?
Kim Kardashian's father Robert Kardashian was a defense attorney and friend of O.J. Simpson who represented the latter during his 1995 murder trial.
Robert Kardashian died from esophageal cancer in September 2003 after learning about his diagnosis just two months prior.
According to the National Cancer Institute, esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the esophagus. There are different types of esophageal cancer, including adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, which has been "strongly linked" to GERD, although ordinary esophagitis by itself is not a precancerous condition, the agency states.
According to MedlinePlus, people who experience "years" of GERD can develop a condition called Barrett esophagus, "a disorder in which the lining of the esophagus is damaged by stomach acid leading to changes in the cells of the lining."
Barrett esophagus "may lead to cancer of the food pipe," MedlinePlus states.
Treatment for Barrett esophagus can include surgery or other procedures.
Treatment for esophageal cancer can include surgery, radiation therapy, laser therapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
"The Kardashians" season 8 premieres Oct. 8 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, Disney+ and Hulu.
