CLEVELAND (WJW) – Children battling chronic allergic and immune conditions now have a less invasive treatment option.

University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s reports it’s the first in the Midwest to offer pediatric patients an unsedated transnasal endoscopy through the use of EvoEndo single-use system to perform the procedure.

Nick Demers, 17, said the change in treatment for his condition Eosinophilic esophagitis or EoE is noteworthy. He’s battled the condition and inflammation of the throat often triggered by food since his early teens.

“So, some of the symptoms are heartburn, really acidic feeling in the mouth, throat, inflammation in the throat so it’s harder to swallow so you can choke sometimes,” said Demers. “Everything is swollen.”

He said treatment consisted of uncomfortable and frequent scopes that often led to several days of missed school at Saint Ignatius and time away from the crew team due to recovering from anesthesia.

“You find yourself kind of vomiting more, you find yourself sick more,” said Demers. “It’s hard to eat after practice.”

Since receiving the newer procedure in children, Demers said he’s able to be treated and then return to class or practice with no delay. He said he enjoys the virtual reality goggles he’s able to use while the procedure is performed.

“Patients who we use this in primarily the transnasal endoscopy have a disease called Eosinophilic esophagitis EoE which is an allergic condition of the esophagus,” said Dr. Thomas Sferra pediatric gastroenterologist at University Hospitals.

The doctor said the illness is becoming more common and with the EvoEndo scope, Dr. Sferra said they are able to investigate problems more thoroughly.

“We’re seeing the incidents of this disease is increasing in our patients and so for some patients, they would require four to five, to six, endoscopies even in the period of a year to two-year period,” said Dr. Sferra.

Demers said his treatments are no longer disruptive, less painful, and much faster.

“You’re coming in and out within a day and it doesn’t hurt as much,” said Demers.