The peristalsis It is the mechanism by which the digestive system moves food from ingestion to digestion and absorption. It consists of a series of Coordinated muscle contractions that push the content along the oesophagus, the stomach and the Intestine.
Although we are not aware of it, this movement is essential for digestion to function correctly. When peristalsis is adequate, food moves along in an orderly fashion. When it is altered, symptoms such as Dysphagia, Feeling of blockage, slow digestion o Changes in bowel rhythm.
It may be involved in situations such as:
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) When the oesophagus doesn't push food down properly.
- Feeling of retained food due to alterations in oesophageal motility.
- Slow or heavy digestions: When the stomach does not empty correctly.
- Constipation or diarrhoea when bowel function is altered.
Practical example: the feeling that food doesn't go down well
A person may notice that food does not go down normally when eating, or that they constantly need to drink water to help it pass. Although it may sometimes seem like an isolated incident, this type of symptom could be related to a problem in the oesophageal peristalsis.
In these cases, tests such as Oesophageal manometry they allow us to study how the oesophagus contracts and whether the movement is adequate. This helps to understand if the problem lies in the structure or the function.
Peristalsis and digestive motility disorders
When peristalsis does not function correctly, we talk about motility disorders. In these cases, the problem isn't a visible injury, but rather how the digestive tract moves.
For example, in the Achalasia, the oesophagus loses its ability to push food down and the valve that leads to the stomach does not open correctly. In other cases, there may be uncoordinated or excessive contractions that cause pain or difficulty swallowing.
In the stomach, disturbances in peristalsis can cause Gastroparesis, in which emptying is slower than normal, causing a sensation of early fullness or nausea. A common misconception is to think that digestion depends only on what is eaten. However, it also depends on The digestive system moves food through a process called peristalsis. This involves waves of muscle contractions that push food along the digestive tract., and peristalsis plays a fundamental role there.