The following symptoms and complaints may indicate achalasia:
Leading symptoms
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).
- Caused by muscular or neuromuscular changes in the esophagus (food pipe)
- Both the absorption of solid foods and liquids is difficult.
- Often, sufferers need to drink after eating.
- Retrosternal feeling of pressure / fullness (localized behind the sternum).
- Regurgitation (regurgitation of food), even at night while lying down (active and later passive regurgitations)
Secondary symptoms
- Aspiration (inhalation of undigested food).
- Chest spasms
- Emesis (vomiting)
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Hypermotile form (stage I): cramping pain.
- Pyrosis (heartburn)
- Thoracic pain (chest pain)
- Weight loss (late phase)