Title: Esophageal dysmotility - MediGoo - Health Medical Tests | Information
Headings: Esophageal dysmotility
Esophageal dysmotility
Esophageal dysmotility: Description, Causes and Risk Factors:
Symptoms:
Diagnosis:
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Content: For food to be transported efficiently and correctly, the muscles of the esophagus must coordinate in a very structured fashion to transport food to the stomach while ensuring that the stomach contents do not escape. An esophageal dysmotility disorder is one in which this process has been disrupted. These types of disorders can prevent food from being delivered to the stomach or cause stomach contents to be regurgitated. These problems can lead to esophageal dysmotility symptoms such as chest pain, pain when swallowing or the feeling of a permanent lump in the throat. Disorders related to the upper esophageal sphincter or cricopharyngeal muscle are usually related to extremely high contraction of this muscle. This leads to difficulty swallowing, and over time can lead to an out-pouching above this sphincter known as a Zenker's diverticulum. Disorders related to the lower esophageal sphincter can be due to either extremely high muscle contraction tone or extremely low contraction tone. If the sphincter tone is too high and does not open with swallowing, patients often experience difficulty passing food. This may be associated with complete loss of peristalsis in the body of the esophagus in a condition known as achalasia. It may also be an isolated disorder that can be associated with an out-pouching of the esophagus above it, known as an epiphrenic diverticulum.