Achalasia

Question: Can airline pilots have achalasia and still be on the job? I have achalasia and G.E.R.D and my dream is to become an airline pilot could some one please help me out thanks.

Answer: You should try this contest where you can win your dream job for a day and try being a pilot for real. http://tinyurl.com/65tyxh

Question: Has anyone heard of the disease Achalasia? I was just wondering if anyone has heard of this disease or know of anyone who is suffering from it. My close friend J is reported to have it. She has lost 110 pounds and has heaps of pain when she eats and drinks. I have seen her in this pain. And it real and bad. So she avoids eating as much as she can. I want to help her.

Answer: There is some good information about achalasia here: http://www.medicinenet.com/achalasia/article.htm As to what you can do to help her, I really do not know. Hopefully someone else might have some good advice.

Question: Anyone else suffer with dysphagia or achalasia? Just thought I would send out some love to those who suffer from these conditions, I would like to hear about your experiences as there isn't much advice out there.

Answer: My step mother has this condition and has for many years! She now has to eat pureed food and for awhile actually had to have a stomach tube inserted. It is a terrible condition! Good luck to you!

Question: Has anyone ever been misdiagnosed with asthma, when actually you had achalasia or dysphasia? For the last seven years i've been diagnosed with have asthma, but i've always thought differently. I always have a weird feeling in the back of my throat, between my mouth and nose area. I have problems lying on my back, I never sleep on my back because it feels like I'm sufforcating. I also have alot of sleepless nights, such as tonight, because I have problems swallowing. Just wondering if anyone else has these symtoms.

Answer: First of all, I think you mean "dysphagia" not "dysphasia"......dysphagia is when you have problems with swallowing. It's because the epiglottis doesn't fully cover your trachea during the swallow, potentially allowing the bolus (what you're swallowing) to enter the trachea and travel to your lungs. I honestly don't think that you would be misdiagnosed with asthma when you have actually have dysphagia. One thing you might want to consider is the psychological aspect of it. There are people that actually feel like there's a problem there, but there's actually not. If you really feel like there's something wrong, go to the hospital, explain what's going on and ask them if you can be seen by an SLP. They should be able to give you some tests and help you figure it out. They might also be able to help you figure out if you have achalasia too, but I don't know.

Question: How does Nifedipine work in treating Achalasia?

Answer: Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker and therefore a smooth muscle relaxant. In achalasia, the muscles of the length of the esophagus contract in a dyscoordinated and ineffectual manner, and the sphincter at its bottom that leads to the stomach fails to relax and allow the esophageal contents to pass. Nifedipine promotes relaxation of this lowere esophageal shincter.

Question: Can you get porcelain veneers done on the NHS if you have suffered from achalasia for years?

Answer: If you are recieving NHS treatment, regardless of achalasia, you may be able to get veneers if there is something wrong with your teeth, ie, it would not be included on the NHS purely for cosmetic reasons

Question: Achalasia & Thyroid are their symptoms at all connected? anyone know if the Achalasia disease has anything to do or is connected at all with the thyroid? I believe i have Achalasia but i'm also experiencing extreme changes in my body temperature such as feeling cold when its quite hot and burning up at night when i sleep.

Answer: are you male or female, and what age are you? it seems like hot flashes to me, lol. Exercise will help you regulate your body temperature. Thyroid disorders usually do one or the other with your temperature, but not both. Low=cold. high=hot. I believe there are some rare disorders where it fluctuates, but i'm not sure. i don't think they are related, but they can be co-exisitng. older people and women tend to get thyroid disorders more.

Question: Anyone had surgery for achalasia? Did the sympton return after the surgery? I had surgery on it 4 years back and its coming back.

Answer: Yes. The outcomes of surgery and dilation are similar. Sometimes more than one dilation is necessary.

Question: Has anyone got an illness called Achalasia? My dad has this illness which is where the muscle in the oesophagus no longer works so food is not held down in the stomach. If anyone knows of a good surgeon that has experience of this could you post the details here. Thanks

Answer: Hi. How is achalasia treated? Treatments for achalasia include oral medications, dilation or stretching of the lower esophageal sphincter (dilation), surgery to cut the sphincter (esophagomyotomy), and the injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) into the sphincter. All four treatments reduce the pressure within the lower esophageal sphincter to allow easier passage of food from the esophagus into the stomach. Oral medications Oral medications that help to relax the lower esophageal sphincter include groups of drugs called nitrates, e.g., isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil) and calcium-channel blockers, e.g., nifedipine (Procardia) and verapamil (Calan). Although some patients with achalasia, particularly early in the disease, have improvement of symptoms with medications, most do not. By themselves, oral medications are likely to provide only short-term and not long-term relief of the symptoms of achalasia, and many patients experience side-effects from the medications. Dilation The lower esophageal sphincter also may be treated directly by forceful dilation. Dilation of the lower esophageal sphincter is done by having the patient swallow a tube with a balloon on the end. The balloon is placed across the lower sphincter with the help of x-ray, and the balloon is blown up suddenly. The goal is to stretch--actually to tear--the sphincter. The success of forceful dilation has been reported to be between 60 and 95%. Patients in whom dilation is not successful can undergo further dilations, but the rate of success decreases with each additional dilation. If dilation is not successful, the sphincter may still be treated surgically. The main complication of forceful dilation is rupture of the esophagus, which occurs 5% of the time. Half of the ruptures heal without surgery, though patients with rupture who do not require surgery still must be followed closely and treated with antibiotics. The other half of ruptures require surgery. (Although surgery carries additional risk for the patient, surgery can repair the rupture as well as permanently treat the achalasia with esophagomyotomy.) Death following forceful dilation is rare. Dilation is fast, inexpensive compared with surgery, and requires only a short hospital stay. Esophagomyotomy The sphincter also can be cut surgically, a procedure called esophagomyotomy. The surgery can be done using a large abdominal incision or laparoscopically through small punctures in the abdomen. In general, the laparoscopic approach is used with uncomplicated achalasia. Alternatively, the surgery can be done with a large incision or laparoscopically through the chest. Esophagomyotomy is more successful than forceful dilation, probably because the pressure in the lower sphincter is reduced to a greater extent and more reliably; 80-90% of patients have good results. With prolonged follow-up, however, some patients develop recurrent dysphagia. Thus, esophagomyotomy does not guarantee a permanent cure. The most important side effect from the more reliable and greater reduction in pressure with esophagomyotomy, isáreflux of acid (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD). In order to prevent this, the esophagomyotomy may be modified so that it doesnĺt completely cut the sphincter or the esophagomyotomy may be combined with anti-reflux surgery (fundoplication). Whichever surgical procedure is done, some physicians recommend life-long treatment with oral medications for acid reflux. Others recommend 24 hour esophageal acid testing with lifelong medication only if acid reflux is found. Botulinum toxin The newest treatment for achalasia is the endoscopic injection of botulinum toxin into the lower sphincter to weaken it. Injection is fast, nonsurgical, and requires no hospitalization. Treatment with botulinum toxin is safe, but the effects on the sphincter often last only for months, and additional injections with botulinum toxin may be necessary. Injection is a good option for patients who are very elderly or are at high risk for surgery, e.g., patients with severe heart or lung disease. It also allows patients who have lost substantial weight to eat and improve their nutritional status prior to ôpermanentö treatment with surgery. This may reduce post-surgical complications. Achalasia At A Glance Achalasia is a rare disease of the muscle of the lower esophageal body and the lower esophageal sphincter. The cause of achalasia is unknown; however, there is degeneration of the esophageal muscle and, more importantly, the nerves that control the muscle. Common symptoms of achalasia include difficulty swallowing, chest pain, and regurgitation of food and liquid. Complications of achalasia include lung problems and loss of weight. Achalasia may increase the risk of cancer of the esophagus, but this is not clear. Achalasia can be diagnosed by x-ray, endoscopy, or esophageal manometry. Treatments for achalasia include oral medications, dilation or stretching of the esophagus, surgery, and injection of muscle-relaxing medicines (botulinum toxin) directly into the esophagus. Rosemary

Question: somebody suffer from Achalasia? have you ever suffered from achalasia? or do you know someone suffer from that? if you have an experience please help me to find the best way for my curing.

Answer: It looks like this site might be a good resource for you: http://achalasia.net/ He says he's been through it too and found a natural cure for it.

Question: Achalasia? I have had problems with swallowing for about 5 years, and I just went to the doctors and took a bunch of tests and was diagnosed with Achalasia (a disease in which the opening from your esophogus to stomach does not open correctly as it should) I was just wondering if anyone has ever had this or known anyone who has it and what the surgery/ other treatments were like. If you could let me know that would be awesome! Thanks!

Answer: My anatomy professor in medical school had a son with achalasia. They thought about the dilation method, but knowing that 5% of patients have a rupture during the procedure anyway, they elected to do the surgery (Esophagomyotomy) instead. They can do it laparoscopically, so it is not really invasive. The surgery leaves some side-effects, mainly acid reflux, but it is 80 to 90% effective. Drugs had vrtually no effect on him. Some people have tried the new botulism method, and it works, but only temporarily. I don't think thatI would ant to keep getting it done over and over again. Oh...the other side-effect of surgery-- you won't be able to drink a glass of water while standing on your head anymore. Of course, that wouldn't be a big deal to me. Good Luck!

Question: what is achalasia pyorrhea? i need to define or describe it for my physiology class...please give the source of your from where you found the answer, thanks!

Answer: Achalasia is a disorder of the esophagus that prevents normal swallowing Achalasia.(disorder overview)(Disease/Disorder overview). Richard Robinson. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Thomson Gale. Jan 1, 2006. pyorrhea.pyorrhea Pronunciation: pi`&rE` & Etymology: Gk, pyon + rhoia, flow,1. a discharge of pus. 2. a purulent inflammation of the tissues surrounding the teeth. --pyorrheal, adj. Also spelled pyorrhoea. Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary. Edition 5, 1998

Question: Life Expectancy from Cardia Achalasia? Cardiac Achalasia is rare disease and there are limited treatment options. But is there any success story out there ... who went through the pain and trouble but eventually returned back to normal routine (with precautions) and have been stable for many years (like 15years+) Please share, it will be big moral boost to many souls.

Answer: The first-line treatment for achalasia is balloon dilation. In this procedure, an inflatable membrane or balloon is passed down the esophagus to the sphincter and inflated to force the sphincter open. Dilation is effective in about 70% of patients. Three other treatments are used for achalasia when balloon dilation is inappropriate or unacceptable. * Botulinum toxin injection. Injected into the sphincter, botulinum toxin paralyzes the muscle and allows it to relax. Symptoms usually return within one to two years. * Esophagomyotomy. This surgical procedure cuts the sphincter muscle to allow the esophagus to open. Esophagomyotomy is becoming more popular with the development of techniques allowing very small abdominal incisions. * Drug therapy. Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, reduces muscle contraction. Taken daily, this drug provides relief for about two-thirds of patients for as long as two years. It does go on to say the condition can be successfully managed.

Question: Any experiences with achalasia? I am having tests done next week to determine if I have achalasia. I have already had an endoscopy done and my doctor told me that I would have to have a barium swallow and an esophageal manometry done as well. I am not so nervous about the barium swallow, but the esophageal manometry sounds terrible! I have trouble swallowing water and now they want me to swallow a tube? Has anyone had this test done? I would appreciate any information anyone could give me about this condition and/or tests.

Answer: I've never had it done to me, but I've sent patients to have it done. They don't complain about it much, so I'm assuming that it's not too uncomfortable.

Question: Has anyone had a Laparoscopic Myotomy and Fundoplication for Achalasia ? Just curious.

Answer: I haven't myself but a very good friend of mine did, and it looked like a very painful operation but I supposed compared to the suffering he went through everyday for a couple of years waiting for his operation I guess it was worth it. I am so glad he is on the mend now and as soon as he gets better I am going to bake him a massive cake to cheer him up and celebrate the success of his operation and the fact he can eat properly again :D

Question: what to eat if you have Achalasia? what to eat if you have Achalasia? what foods can be eaten to have achalasia

Answer: ~Marginally chewed apples and raw meat. Your esophagus needs the exercise. A month of good hard solid foods, in copious amounts and large chunks should be just what the doctor ordered. Oh, pardon me. Should be just what the Yahoo Answer man ordered. You apparently have an aversion to doctors. What the hey, it's your health and your life. Enjoy (while you can).