Oesophageal motility disorders These are disorders of oesophageal movement that make it difficult for food and liquids to pass normally into the stomach. These disorders can cause symptoms such as dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), a feeling of food getting stuck, regurgitation, or chest pain. They require specialist assessment to identify the type of disorder and its possible cause.
oesophageal motility disorder. Esophageal motility disorder.
These alterations can also affect the opening and closing of the junction between the oesophagus and the stomach. As a consequence, food may have difficulty moving forward, become retained, or cause discomfort during and after swallowing.
It can manifest with:
- Difficulty swallowingDysphagia): with solid, liquid, or both food items.
- Feeling of food stuck: generally behind the sternum.
- Regurgitation Regurgitation of food or liquids back into the mouth.
- Chest pain that can appear during or after meals.
- Weight loss or changes in diet: when the discomfort persists.
- Heartburn Acid reflux, in some oesophageal motility disorders.
Practical example: feeling of food stuck when swallowing
A person might notice they need to drink water to help certain foods go down, or that they have to eat more slowly and chew for longer.
In other cases, difficulty may appear with both solids and liquids or be accompanied by chest pain and regurgitation. When these symptoms recur, there may be an alteration in the way the oesophagus contracts or allows food to pass into the stomach.
Oesophageal motility disorders and manometry
Los Oesophageal motility disorders include different alterations, such as Achalasia, distal oesophageal spasm, gastro-oesophageal junction obstruction or ineffective oesophageal motility. Each affects the movement of the oesophagus differently and may require a specific approach.
The main evidence for studying these movements is the High-resolution oesophageal manometry, which allows for the analysis of the strength, coordination, and sequence of muscle contractions during swallowing.
Depending on the case, the study may be completed with a Gastroscopy, an oesophageal transit o functional tests such as EndoFLIP. These explorations help to rule out obstructions and to better understand how the oesophagus works.
A common doubt is thinking that difficulty swallowing is always due to food being stuck. However, when it occurs repeatedly, it can also indicate that the oesophagus is not making the necessary movements correctly to transport food.
Early diagnosis allows for the identification of the type of oesophageal motility disorder and the selection of the most appropriate treatment for each patient, improving symptoms and quality of life.