Achalasia is
a disorder of the gullet (oesophagus) where it loses the ability to
move food along. The valve at the end of the gullet also fails to open and
allow food to pass into your stomach. As a result, food gets stuck in your gullet and is
often brought back up.
A ring of muscle called the lower oesophageal
(cardiac) sphincter keeps the opening from the gullet to the stomach shut
tight to prevent acid reflux (acidic stomach content
moving back up into the gullet). Normally, this muscle relaxes when you swallow to
allow the food to pass into your stomach. In achalasia, this muscle does not
relax properly and the end of your gullet becomes blocked with food. Achalasia is an uncommon condition that affects
about 6,000 people in Britain. It is sometimes known as cardiospasm.