Jonathan Markowitz, MD; Kelly Bilodeau

Sometimes, what appears to be a clear case of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is something else: eosinophilic esophagitis (also known as EoE or EE). This disease often has symptoms that are identical to GERD, but it is actually triggered when an allergic response — typically to a food — causes eosinophils to proliferate in the esophagus, inflaming the tissue.