Whats is going to happen, my friends' esophagus is eroting and the linning of his stomach is starting its way up his esophagus? my friend is only 19 and he went to the hospital a few months ago with sever pain in his abdomen and chest. they sent him home

Gastritis : Gastritis and esophagitis are what your friend are dealing with. This typically occurs as a result of hyper-production of acid in the stomach which refluxes back up into his esophagus thus causing damage. A common cause in a young person would be a hiatal hernia. Other causes are obesity, excess smoking, alcohol, too much caffeine, and even certain infections. His doctor should be able to go over his history with him and with all the testing be able to come up with a possible cause. The treatment starts with a change in diet (no spicy, caffeine, acidic foods) also certain acid blockers or drugs called proton pump inhibitors should have been started. He needs to follow up with his doctor and establish a treatment plan.