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An esophageal food bolus obstruction is a medical emergency caused by the obstruction of the esophagus by an ingested foreign body.. It is usually associated with diseases that may narrow the lumen of the esophagus, such as eosinophilic esophagitis, Schatzki rings, peptic strictures, webs, or cancers of the esophagus; rarely it can be seen in disorders of the movement of the esophagus, such as ...
When food is being swallowed, the epiglottis moves backward to cover the larynx, preventing food from entering the trachea. At the same time, the upper esophageal sphincter relaxes, allowing a bolus of food to enter. Peristaltic contractions of the esophageal muscle push the food down the esophagus. These rhythmic contractions occur both as a ...
Abnormalities of the esophagus may lead to esophageal dysphagia. The failure of the lower esophagus sphincter to respond properly to swallowing is called achalasia. M-Type Swallowing With practice, people can learn to swallow fluidly without closing the mouth by merely manipulating the tongue and jaw to drive fluids or foods down the esophagus.
When you eat, food enters the mouth, passes through your throat and then goes into your esophagus, explains Angelica Nocerino, MD, a gastroenterologist at MedStar Health.
During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus. The epiglottis folds down to a more horizontal position to direct the food into the esophagus, and away from the trachea. Once in the esophagus, the bolus travels down to the stomach via rhythmic contraction and relaxation of muscles known as peristalsis. The ...
The primary peristaltic wave forces the bolus down the esophagus and into the stomach in a wave lasting about 8–9 seconds. The wave travels down to the stomach even if the bolus of food descends at a greater rate than the wave itself, and continues even if for some reason the bolus gets stuck further up the esophagus.
When food or other objects travel down the respiratory tract rather than down the esophagus to the stomach, this is called aspiration. This can lead to the obstruction of airways, inflammation of lung tissue, and aspiration pneumonia; and in the long term, atelectasis and bronchiectasis. [3]
Nutcracker esophagus is characterized by high-amplitude peristaltic contractions that are frequently prolonged and cause dysphagia and chest pain. [ 6 ] HLES (hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter) is a rare manometric abnormality seen among individuals with dysphagia, chest pain, gastroesophageal reflux , and hiatal hernia .