Dysphagia, Odynophagia, Globus Sensation and Achalasia
Dysphagia is difficulty on swallowing food or liquid. Odynophagia is pain on swallowing food or liquid, while globus sensation is a feeling of a lump or foreign body in the throat in dependant of swallowing.
Often disease involving the oesophagus itself or close to the oesophagus and potentially impacting on the oesophagus can cause these above symptoms. Sometimes disease of the brain or nerves can present with these symptoms as well.
However a thorough investigation is often required when symptoms are persisting to exclude possible causes like acid reflux, inflammatory disorders of the lining of the oesophagus, nerveor brain disorders as well as muscular disorders and cancers.
Achalsia is a more complex issue related to the functioning of the peristalsis of the oesophagus (the contractions of the muscles of the oesophagus) resulting in an inability to swallow food properly, with associated severe pain and regurgitation of contents swallowed previously. This is where the testing by Oesophageal manometry becomes relevant.
