Esophageal Spasm

Esophageal Spasm – General Information

A patient who suffers from Esophageal Spasm is known to present uncoordinated, irregular, and, in some cases, powerful contractions of the muscles of the esophagus. The esophagus is a part of the human’s organism, the link that is supposed to ensure that the food that we ingest gets to the stomach. In a normal organism, the esophagus’ muscles’ contractions are voluntarily coordinated. In the case of patients who suffer from this type of medical condition, the spasm of the tube might prevent the food from passing on into the stomach (in the most severe cases, the food remains stuck in the patient’s esophagus).  However, this medical disorder (Esophageal Spasm) is quite uncommon. Physicians have not been able to determine the exact cause of this medical condition. However, most scientists say that the disorder is caused by an abnormal disruption of one of the organism’s nerves (the one that is supposed to effectively coordinate the actions of the esophagus, mainly swallowing). In some medical cases who presented this disorder, the spasms were triggered by very cold or very hot foods. This medical condition rarely triggers the death of the individual. However, this disorder’s morbidity reaches significant numbers. Morbidity is known to be caused by the patient’s inability to eat properly. Besides the pain that the individual experiences (which can become incapacitating, not allowing the patient to maintain a normal nutritional status), if an individual experiences this medical condition, he or she will have to face impairment in the quality of his or her life and important psychological challenges.Studies have shown that this medical condition tends to affect white patients rather than the other races. Furthermore, specialists have noticed that far more women from all over the world develop Esophageal Spasm, rather than men.

Esophageal Spasm – Symptoms

In some clinical cases it has been proven that a patient who presented some typical signs of symptoms of Esophageal Spasm was in fact suffering from achalasia (a condition that affects the patient’s central nervous system, thus preventing the patient’s LES – lower esophageal sphincter – to work as it should) and / or gastroesophageal reflux disease (usually abbreviated as GERD). Furthermore, it is known that other causes (such as panic or anxiety attacks) can trigger the same symptoms as Esophageal Spasm. Most individuals who present this medical disorder experience from moderate to severe chest pain. This symptom might further affect the patient’s jaw, neck, back, and / or arms. It is important for each patient to know that the pain that is triggered by a spasm of the esophagus can easily be mistaken with the pain that occurs in case of a heart attack. However, if you present chest pain, an authorized health care provider ought to make you undergo several medical tests that will determine whether you are suffering from Esophageal Spasm, cardiac disease, or any other medical condition. Among the other common symptoms that a patient with Esophageal Spasm might present include increased inability or difficulty to swallow (this applies to the swallowing of both liquid and food), pain that accompanies swallowing, heartburn (an unpleasant burning sensation that is located in the patient’s chest, that is present in about 20% of all clinical cases who suffer from this medical condition), the feeling that some food has remained stuck right in the middle of the patient’s chest (a symptom known in the medical world as globus), dysphagia, regurgitation, and so on.

Esophageal Spasm – Treatment

In most clinical cases, a physician can easily determine the true cause of the spasms that you experience by simply asking you a set of questions about your personal and / or family history. Further questions will regard your symptoms: when do your symptoms occur, what causes them (either liquids or food), any medicines that you have started to take in order to ease / treat them, and so on. However, the initial diagnosis that is based on these questions should be confirmed with the help of several tests. The most common clinical exams that a patient has to undergo include endoscopy and / or a barium swallow. Such clinical examinations generally employ a small, lighted viewing medical gadget (instrument) or X-rays in order to thoroughly examine the inside of the individual’s esophagus. The authorized health care provider will also want to perform further esophagus testing. This means that you will have to undergo a set of medical tests that will evaluate the functioning and the condition of the esophagus. With the help of these tests, your personal health care provider will be able to measure the pattern and strength of the esophagus’ contractions as well as the acid levels in the tube. A patient who is suspected to suffer from Esophageal Spasm might have to perform other series of medical exams that will determine with clarity whether the pain that the individual experiences is caused by this medical condition or by other disorders (gastroesophageal reflux disease, the abnormal reflux (backflow) of stomach acid, food, and other digestive juices that reach the patient’s esophagus).

The therapy for patients who suffer from Esophageal Spasm also generally involves the treatment of other medical conditions that can worsen the spasms of the esophagus. The most common disorder that is known to trigger the worsening of the Esophageal Spasm’s symptoms is GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The therapy for this particular medical condition includes changes in the patient’s lifestyle (daily routine) and diet. A medication treatment is also needed, as some drugs are able to effectively reduce the amount of acid that the patient’s stomach produces. The spasms of the esophagus (the most common symptom of this disorder) can effectively respond to a direct therapy with other types of medicines (such as calcium channel blockers, nitrates, and so on) that are sometimes able to relax the esophagus’ muscles. Anxiety and / or panic attacks can be easily kept under control with the help of breathing exercises and relaxation. In some rare cases, patients who present Esophageal Spasm might have to undergo surgery. The surgeon who performs the operation cuts the muscles that are located along the lower part of the patient’s esophagus. However, this medical procedure is considered the last option, and it is accepted in the case of patients who do not respond to any other therapy methods.