What is Achalasia?

Achalasia is a condition that affects the esophagus resulting in its malfunctioning. When a person suffers from Achalasia the esophageal sphincter remains closed as it fails to relax. Hence you will not be able to eat food properly as swallowing can become extremely difficult. The condition of Achalasia is mainly caused owing to degeneration of nerve cells which normally indicate the brain that it must relax the esophageal sphincter. This degeneration can be caused by undiagnosed infection or auto immune disease.

The most common symptom of achalasia is Dysphagia or difficulty swallowing. When a person suffers from achalasia, he/she has problems in swallowing solids and liquids. The solid food can also be stuck sometimes. Chest pain may also be a symptom which may be confused with cardiac or angina pain. If the condition is not treated the symptoms can get worse.

For a correct diagnosis of achalasia, a thorough examination is conducted and the patient’s medical history is studied completely. You must take care not to confuse achalasia with other symptoms.

Esophageal manometry is a test which is undertaken to diagnose this condition. In this test a thin tube inserted into the esophagus for measuring the pressure that is exerted by the esophageal sphincter. The physician can also know if the LES is functioning properly through esophageal x-rays using barium. Endoscopy can also be performed to have a visual inspection of the esophagus on a monitor. This test helps to know if there are any lesions or tumors on the esophagus lining.

Balloon dilation is another treatment of achalasia in which case an inflatable balloon is inserted to force open the LES after inflation at the base of the esophagus. This treatment can also give desired results among several patients. The patient would be given a botox shot if dilation by balloon fails to give results. This would help relax the muscle since it would be injected into the LES. The disadvantage of this method is that symptoms can recur after a few years. Surgery can be the last resort for having a cure from this problem. The sphincter muscle can be cut for it to open freely in a procedure called Esophagomyotomy. This procedure is becoming very popular and this may be combined along with other therapies to get desired results.