Achalasia (cont.)
What are the symptoms of achalasia?
The most common symptom of achalasia is difficulty
swallowing (dysphagia). Patients typically describe food sticking in the chest
after it is swallowed.
Dysphagia occurs with both solid and liquid food. Moreover, the dysphagia is
consistent, meaning that it occurs during virtually every meal.
Sometimes, patients will describe only a heavy sensation
in their chest after eating that may force them to stop eating. Occasionally,
pain may be severe and mimic heart pain. (Please read the Angina article on
MedicineNet for more detail on different causes of chest pain).
Regurgitation of food that is trapped in the esophagus can occur, especially
when the esophagus is dilated. If the regurgitation happens at night while the
patient is sleeping, food can enter the throat and cause coughing and choking.
If the food enters the trachea (windpipe) and lung, it can
lead to pneumonia (aspiration pneumonia).
Because of the problem swallowing food, a large proportion of patients with
achalasia lose weight.
What are the complications of achalasia?
The complications of achalasia include weight loss and
aspiration pneumonia.
There often is inflammation of the esophagus, called esophagitis, which is
caused by the irritating effect of food and fluids that collect in the esophagus
for prolonged periods of time. There may be esophageal ulcerations as well.
Of potential concern is the possibility that there is an
increased occurrence of cancer of the esophagus in patients with achalasia.
However, there is insufficient scientific evidence that achalasia increases a
person's risk of developing esophageal cancer, so authorities are currently not recommending
that patients with achalasia undergo regular upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
for cancer surveillance.
Next: How is achalasia diagnosed? »
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