Hello Donaldlyles~
According to Medline, Achalasia makes the esophagus ?less able to move
food toward the stomach;? it also causes ?the valve from the esophagus
to the stomach does not relax as much as it needs to during
swallowing. This relaxation is needed to allow food to enter the
stomach.? Achalasia also includes ?spasms of the valve (lower
esophageal sphincter) from the esophagus to the stomach, which
prevents it from opening.? (Achalasia, Medline Plus,
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000267.htm#Expectations%20(prognosis)
) Symptoms may include regurgiation of food; chest, back, neck, and
arm pain (especially after eating); heartburn; coughing (especially at
night, or when lying down); and difficulty swallowing. It?s also
possible to aspirate your food into your lungs, causing pneumonia.
Yes, some of these symptoms can be dehabilitating, affecting every day
life in an adverse way. In particular, Achalasia can make eating or
drinking in public difficult or impossible. HOWEVER, treatment is
available, often making Achalasia not disabling at all.
The best initial treatment may be balloon dilation. With this
treatment, the doctor passes an endoscope into the stomach (after
you?ve been sedated), and inflates a balloon inside. This stretches
the muscle fibers and helps foods pass more easily into the stomach.
About 51 to 93 percent of people respond positively to this
treatment.
Another treatment is the injection of tiny amounts of botulinum toxin.
This paralyzes and relaxes the muscles, allowing food to pass. The
results are usually not lasting. About 32 percent of people are still
doing well 12 months later.
Other treatments may include medication, like nifedipine and nitrates.
After all other treatments have been tried, surgery may be considered.
According to MedLine, ?Surgical outcomes are good; dilation alone
often results in only temporary improvement in symptoms.? Harvard
adds, ?After successful treatment, symptoms may still return five to
10 years later and require repeat treatments.? (?Achalasia,? Harvard
Medical School?s Consumer Health Information,
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9405.html )
There is no known cure for Achalasia; however, many people respond
well to treatment, and when symptoms begin to reoccur, it is just as
possible to get good results with additional treatment.
Regards,
Kriswrite
Achalasia
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Achalasia&btnG=Google+Search |
