Esophageal strictures are narrowed areas in the esophagus that make it harder for food and liquids to pass from the mouth to the stomach. The narrowing is usually caused by scar tissue forming in response to injury or chronic irritation.
The esophagus is normally a flexible, muscular tube. When it’s injured or inflamed repeatedly, the tissue can heal with fibrosis (scar tissue), causing the esophageal walls to thicken and the passageway to narrow—this is a stricture.
