Bird's Beak? Achalasia Diagnosis Explained!

**Achalasia** is a **rare esophageal motility disorder** where the esophagus has trouble moving food into the stomach.

### What goes wrong?

Two main problems occur:

1. **The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) doesn’t relax properly** when you swallow
2. **The esophagus loses normal peristalsis** (the wave-like muscle contractions that push food down)

As a result, food and liquid get **stuck in the esophagus** instead of entering the stomach.

### Common symptoms

* Difficulty swallowing (**dysphagia**) for both **solids and liquids**
* Regurgitation of undigested food
* Chest pain or pressure
* Heartburn-like symptoms
* Weight loss
* Nighttime coughing or aspiration

### What causes achalasia?

* Damage to the **nerve cells (myenteric plexus)** that control esophageal movement
* Exact cause is often **unknown (idiopathic)**
* Rarely associated with infections, autoimmune disease, or **Chagas disease**

### How is it diagnosed?

* **Esophageal manometry** (gold standard)
* **Barium swallow** showing a “**bird’s beak**” narrowing
* **Upper endoscopy** to rule out cancer or strictures

### Treatment options

There is no cure, but treatments focus on **relieving obstruction** at the LES:

* **Pneumatic dilation**
* **Heller myotomy** (surgical)
* **POEM** (peroral endoscopic myotomy)
* **Botulinum toxin injections** (temporary relief)
* Medications (limited benefit)

### Key takeaway

Achalasia causes **progressive difficulty swallowing both solids and liquids** due to a **non-relaxing LES and loss of peristalsis**.

Видео Bird's Beak? Achalasia Diagnosis Explained! канала Gastroenterology Simplified