We've all seen them, and some of us have one at home: picky eaters.

A new study indicates picky eaters don't like eating because they couldn't swallow, a condition thousands of children are living with called eosinophilic esophagitis, or EOE.

“EOE is pretty much a very much unknown disease… it was known as the reflex disease,” Anil Mishra with the Tulane School of Medicine said.

Researchers say they now know EOE is an inflammatory disease caused by food and airborne allergens, and it can make life very difficult.

The allergens cause the esophagus to shorten and the walls to thicken, causing food to get stuck in the throat.

Researchers at Tulane University found this reaction involves a protein called IL18 that triggers the release of cells that damage the esophagus. 

There's no single test, and symptoms like trouble swallowing, chest pain, and heartburn can mimic other conditions. Often, an endoscopy with biopsies, where a tiny tissue sample is examined, is needed to confirm the presence of those telltale eosinophils.

Watch the video above for the full story.