====== Esophageal spasms ======

//Esophageal spasms// are abnormal muscle contractions in the esophagus. They can cause severe pain and difficulty in swallowing. They are estimated to affect around 80,000 people worldwide.

>__The precise cause is unknown.__ Possible factors involved are: a defect in the nitric oxide pathway; abnormalities in the nervous system; visceral hypersensitivity; gastro-oesophageal reflux and smooth muscle thickening in the oesophageal wall.\\ \\ Source : [[https://patient.info/doctor/oesophageal-spasm|Patient Info, UK]]

They are sometimes linked to eating or drinking, but can also occur spontaneously, i.e. with unknown triggers.

Technical info : [[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541106/|StatPearls]]