provides a comprehensive look at the who,
what, when and how of Achalasia
< b>Achalasia: A disease of the esophagus caused by the abnormal function
of nerves and muscles of the esophagus that makes swallowing difficult. There may
sometimes be chest pain. Regurgitation of undigested food can occur, as can coughing
or breathing problems due to entry of food into the lungs. The underlying problems
are weakness of the lower portion of the esophagus and failure of the lower esophageal
sphincter to open and allow passage of food. Achalasia may occur at any age but
is predominantly a disease of young adults. Diagnosis is made by an X-ray, endoscopy,
or esophageal manometry (to measure the pressure in the esophagus). Treatment includes
medication, dilation (stretching) to widen the lower part of the esophagus, and
surgery to open the lower esophagus. A fairly recent approach involves injecting
medicines into the lower esophagus to relax the sphincter.
The "ch" in achalasia is pronounced "k" as in "ache". The word achalasia comes
from the Greek "a-", failure or absence + "chalasis", relaxation = a failure of
relaxation, referring to failure of the lower sphincter muscle of the esophagus
to relax.
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