The esophagus is the connecting tube that transfers food and liquids along with saliva from your mouth to the stomach. You can feel the presence of the esophagus when you swallow anything too large.
Esophagus is frequently exposing to rough and abrasive food substance such as fragmented bone pieces, snacks such as chips, etc. Esophagus inner surface should be resistance to these rough environments, thus esophagus is constructed and lined with stratified scaly epithelium (membrane tissue with one or more cell layers separated by intercellular substance). The mucosa in the esophagus does have mucous glands which secret’s mucus that aids as lubricate between foodstuff and the esophagus.
Esophagus bound to have two sphincters they are:
- Upper esophageal sphincter
- Lower esophageal sphincter
Upper esophageal sphincter
This upper esophageal sphincter is constructing largely of muscle that is closely place and associate with the larynx (hollow organ forming part of the air passage to the lungs). When you swallow food, this sphincter relaxes, which pulls the larynx forward and makes a way for the food to the esophagus instead of the lungs air passage. Sometimes accidentally, a piece of food may enter the air passage, but immediately lungs make us to calf violently to throw away the food particle back to mouth.
Lower esophageal sphincter
This lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle around the esophagus that is located just before the entrance to the stomach. When the food travels down the stomach, this sphincter relaxes, which makes a way to the food towards the stomach. If this lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, then stomach acid may be reflex back into the esophagus causing heartburn (burning sensation in the chest or throat).
Occasional heartburn is common, but frequent heartburn could indicate a serious problem that requires proper treatment.
Common Esophagus diseases
The diseases that may affect esophagus and causing esophagus disorders are listed below:
- Esophagitis is a general term for any inflammation, irritation, or swelling of the esophagus.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD is stomach acid reflex into the esophagus.
- Benign esophageal stricture is narrowing or tightening of the esophagus that causes swallowing difficulties.
- Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing
- Diverticula (esophageal pouches) is zenker's diverticula, midesophageal diverticula, epiphrenic diverticula
- Esophageal spasm is also called spastic pseudo-diverticulosis, rosary bead or corkscrew esophagus, or symptomatic diffuse esophageal spasm
- Achalasia is also called esophageal achalasia, cardiospasm, esophageal aperistalsis, or megaesophagus
- Barretts esophagus
- Bleeding esophageal varices
- Candida esophagitis
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) esophagitis
- Herpes esophagitis
- Esophageal atresia
- Esophageal perforation
- Mallory-Weiss tear
Please visit back after some day is for detail information and treatments (by both modern and alternative medicines) for the above-said esophagus diseases.