Achalasia
Achalasia is a rare disorder that makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass from the swallowing tube connecting your mouth and stomach (oesophagus) into your stomach.
Achalasia occurs when nerves in the oesophagus become damaged. As a result, the oesophagus becomes paralyzed and dilated over time and eventually loses the ability to squeeze food down into the stomach. Food then collects in the oesophagus, sometimes fermenting and washing back up into the mouth, which can taste bitter.
Some people mistake this for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). However, in achalasia the food is coming from the oesophagus, whereas in GORD the material comes from the stomach.
There's no cure for achalasia. Once the oesophagus is paralyzed, the muscle cannot work properly again. But symptoms can usually be managed with endoscopy, minimally invasive therapy or surgery.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Achalasia can be overlooked or misdiagnosed because it has symptoms similar to other digestive disorders. To test for achalasia, your doctor is likely to recommend:
• Oesophageal manometry. This test measures the rhythmic muscle contractions in your oesophagus when you swallow, the coordination and force exerted by the oesophagus muscles, and how well your lower oesophageal sphincter relaxes or opens during a swallow. This test is the most helpful when determining which type of motility problem you might have.
• X-rays of your upper digestive system (oesophagram). X-rays are taken after you drink a chalky liquid that coats and fills the inside lining of your digestive tract. The coating allows your doctor to see a silhouette of your oesophagus, stomach and upper intestine. You may also be asked to swallow a barium pill that can help to show a blockage of the oesophagus.
• Upper endoscopy. Your doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube equipped with a light and camera (endoscope) down your throat, to examine the inside of your oesophagus and stomach. Endoscopy can be used to define a partial blockage of the oesophagus if your symptoms or results of a barium study indicate that possibility. Endoscopy can also be used to collect a sample of tissue (biopsy) to be tested for complications of reflux such as Barrett's oesophagus.
Treatment
There's no cure for achalasia. Once the oesophagus is paralyzed, the muscle cannot work properly again. But symptoms can usually be managed with endoscopy, minimally invasive therapy or surgery.
Care at Chartwell Hospital
At Chartwell Digestive Health we have doctors trained in digestive disorders (gastroenterologists), who are dedicated to providing the best possible care and treatment for all of our patients.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Achalasia can be easily mistaken for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Untreated achalasia can progress to end-stage disease, which might require removal of the oesophagus. Specialists at The Chartwell Hospital are skilled in distinguishing achalasia from GORD and other digestive diseases.
Doctors & Departments
Department
Gastroenterology
Doctors
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