Beyond the Bite: EoE and Food Allergy
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging chronic food allergy disease that affects the esophagus.
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a non-IgE-mediated food allergy that happens when large numbers of eosinophils, a type of allergy-related white blood cell, gather in the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). As a result, the lining of the esophagus becomes inflamed, making it difficult for food to go down. EoE is diagnosed by taking multiple biopsies from the esophagus and looking for eosinophils under a microscope.
About 1 in 700 people in the U.S. have eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).
There has been a continuous increase in EoE prevalence for the past 15 years. According to a 2025 study, the prevalence of EoE in the U.S. is approximately 1 in 700, with an annual economic impact of $1.3 billion (in 2024 dollars)1.
Certain foods can trigger EoE, and symptoms vary depending on age. With infants and toddlers, families often note feeding difficulties, irritability and poor weight gain. Older children typically have regurgitation (spitting up), vomiting, heartburn and belly pain. Teenagers and adults may have chest pain, difficulty swallowing and a feeling that food “gets stuck” when they swallow.
The best way to determine which foods are contributing to EoE is to remove the food from the diet and repeat the biopsy to see if the eosinophils have gone away. Traditional allergy testing has not been shown to consistently indicate which foods are triggering symptoms.
Find additional EoE resources at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Center for Eosinophilic Disorders site.
1Thel HL, Anderson C, Xue AZ, Jensen ET, Dellon ES. Prevalence and Costs of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in the United States. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 Feb;23(2):272-280.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2024.09.031. Epub 2024 Oct 31. PMID: 39486752; PMCID: PMC11761390.