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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:17 Causes of Achalasia
1:45 Symptoms of Achalasia
2:02 Diagnosis of Achalasia
2:44 Treatment of Achalasia
esophageal disease characterized by an inability of the esophagus to move food toward the stomach resulting from the lower esophogeal sphincter not fully relaxing during swallowing
Achalasia is a rare disorder of the esophagus that is marked by an impaired ability to push food and liquid into the stomach.
• The esophagus is a tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.
• Achalasia is a disorder involving the smooth muscle layer of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter.
• The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscular ring located at the low end of the esophagus, where it meets the stomach.
• The lower esophageal sphincter opens up to allow food to pass through into the stomach. It also closes off to prevent acid and stomach contents from traveling backward from the stomach.
• In achalasia, the lower esophageal sphincter doesn’t fully relax and fails to open up during swallowing, making it difficult to push food down into the stomach.
• In addition to the abnormalities of the lower esophageal sphincter, the smooth muscle of the esophagus does not contract normally and cannot support peristaltic waves
• This process causes food to get caught at the base of the esophagus.
• The condition affects about 1 in 100,000 per year and occurs on both male and female.