September is Achalasia Awareness Month!
Achalasia may not be a disease you’ve heard about – so you’ve come to the right place!
What is achalasia?
Achalasia is a rare disorder that makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass into your stomach. Achalasia occurs when nerves in the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus) become damaged. As a result, the esophagus loses the ability to squeeze food down, and the muscular valve between the esophagus and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) doesn’t fully relax — making it difficult for food to pass into your stomach.
Common symptoms of achalasia include the following:
- Impairment in the ability to swallow (dysphagia)
- Chest pain
- Retention of saliva and ingested food in the esophagus
- Tracheobronchial aspiration
- Persistent coughing
- Significant weight loss
- Dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca)
- Dry mouth (xerostomia)
- Higher risk of pneumonia, other pulmonary infections
- The incidence of esophageal cancer is significantly increased in patients with achalasia
To read more about achalasia – including causes, and treatment options – click here!
What can we do?
Join the Martin Mueller IV Achalasia Awareness Foundation to help make a difference!
Click here for the foundations’s Facebook to connect with others and engage in community activities!
Also, click here to access the gift shop to buy some awareness swag, which includes shirts, magnets, wristbands, and more.
You can do 2 things at once! Contribute to their financial goals AND show your support/awareness.
Any help counts, so click
here to make a contribution!
Together, we can raise achalasia’s profile and help make patients’ voices heard!
