When the esophagus stops working properly, people develop a condition known as dysphagia, or impaired swallowing. It is not a pleasant experience as it interferes with the person's ability to maintain a healthy diet. It sometimes causes pain as well. Doctors use several methods of swallow study for dysphagia in order to diagnose and treat this condition.
Food is swallowed when it enters the mouth and is forced into the throat by the tongue's movement. This movement can be deliberate or is reflexive. Beyond the throat, the ingested material is pressed further down the esophagus by the rhythmic peristaltic motion of the muscle in the surrounding walls. The food travels the full length of the esophagus and is deposited into the stomach as it passes through the gastric sphincter.
There are some reasons why this process might be difficult or impossible. The esophageal muscles may be impaired in some way, such as by being too weak to move anything or because they are otherwise injured.
Another possibility is that the peristalsis can become spasmodic. This condition is technically known as diffuse spasms and is based in the gullet's involuntary muscles. The spasms are intense and rapid, as opposed to their usual motion.
Obstructions in the esophagus are another possible reason. Big pieces of food can get lodged there, and if a person has esophageal tumors they may have the same consequence. Blockages can potentially be the result of any foreign matter or debris.
Like all muscular activity in the body, the esophagus is controlled by the nervous system. Illnesses of the nerves, such as polio or muscular dystrophy, can inhibit swallowing, as can nerve lesions such as those resulting from mechanical trauma or strokes.
In assessing the situation, doctors are able to use X-rays. X-rays do not usually show muscle tissue so the patient is asked to drink a barium solution. Barium, which is metal, shows up on the X-ray and exposes the affected areas of muscle in the esophagus, if there are any. Barium tablets or food are used if the doctor suspects that something is blocking the gullet. The barium is called the contrast material.
Other patients are subjected to a muscle test or manometry examination. This involves pushing a special tube down the throat. The tube produces pressure on the surrounding muscle and in this way the muscle is tested for strength and function.
Endoscopy is a general term for the technique in medicine in which a camera-loaded cable is passed into the body through an orifice. This is a Greek term meaning inner vision. It allows the doctor to physically see the gullet's interior and make an assessment of its interior and muscles.
Testing the strength of those muscles is done during a manometry exam. This also involves inserting a tube into the mouth, but this time the tube exerts pressure on the walls of the food canal to ascertain their power and coordination.
All of these methods are relatively easy to endure. Dysphagia is not usually associated with younger people, and may occur from time to time on a once-off basis. But where it persists, it should be seen to.
Food is swallowed when it enters the mouth and is forced into the throat by the tongue's movement. This movement can be deliberate or is reflexive. Beyond the throat, the ingested material is pressed further down the esophagus by the rhythmic peristaltic motion of the muscle in the surrounding walls. The food travels the full length of the esophagus and is deposited into the stomach as it passes through the gastric sphincter.
There are some reasons why this process might be difficult or impossible. The esophageal muscles may be impaired in some way, such as by being too weak to move anything or because they are otherwise injured.
Another possibility is that the peristalsis can become spasmodic. This condition is technically known as diffuse spasms and is based in the gullet's involuntary muscles. The spasms are intense and rapid, as opposed to their usual motion.
Obstructions in the esophagus are another possible reason. Big pieces of food can get lodged there, and if a person has esophageal tumors they may have the same consequence. Blockages can potentially be the result of any foreign matter or debris.
Like all muscular activity in the body, the esophagus is controlled by the nervous system. Illnesses of the nerves, such as polio or muscular dystrophy, can inhibit swallowing, as can nerve lesions such as those resulting from mechanical trauma or strokes.
In assessing the situation, doctors are able to use X-rays. X-rays do not usually show muscle tissue so the patient is asked to drink a barium solution. Barium, which is metal, shows up on the X-ray and exposes the affected areas of muscle in the esophagus, if there are any. Barium tablets or food are used if the doctor suspects that something is blocking the gullet. The barium is called the contrast material.
Other patients are subjected to a muscle test or manometry examination. This involves pushing a special tube down the throat. The tube produces pressure on the surrounding muscle and in this way the muscle is tested for strength and function.
Endoscopy is a general term for the technique in medicine in which a camera-loaded cable is passed into the body through an orifice. This is a Greek term meaning inner vision. It allows the doctor to physically see the gullet's interior and make an assessment of its interior and muscles.
Testing the strength of those muscles is done during a manometry exam. This also involves inserting a tube into the mouth, but this time the tube exerts pressure on the walls of the food canal to ascertain their power and coordination.
All of these methods are relatively easy to endure. Dysphagia is not usually associated with younger people, and may occur from time to time on a once-off basis. But where it persists, it should be seen to.
About the Author:
Read about the swallow study for dysphagia through clinical resources. To see links for patients of cancer and Parkinson disease, click on this link http://www.swallowstudy.com.
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