Achalasia is a word that is generated from the Greek "a" which refers to "without" which is a negation prefix, the verb "Khalasis" which means "relaxation" plus the suffix "ia" which refers to "quality"; the achalasia voice describes a condition, where those muscles that are in the lower part of the esophagus do not relax and make it impossible for food to reach the esophagus. In other words, we can say that achalasia is an alteration that affects the esophagus, which comprises a part of the digestive system of humans and other living beings made up of a muscular tube of about 30 centimeters that connects the stomach with the pharynx.
This alteration of the functioning of the esophagus consists of a plugging or plugging at the entrance of the esophagus, thanks to the increase in pressure in a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter. The main function of the esophagus is to transport food from the mouth to the stomach; therefore it also has a musculature that provides certain propulsive movements that drive the food bolus and the lower esophageal sphincter valve, in its final part, which expands or opens when we eat food so that it passes, and then closes with the in order to avoid backflow.
It was around the year 1679 that the English physician, pioneer in his neuroanatomical research Sir Thomas Willis, discovered achalasia. In the year 1881 von Mikulicz who manifested achalasia as cardiospasm, in order to expose that the possible symptoms were caused by a functional problem rather than a mechanical problem. Hunt and Rake, in 1929 found that this condition was produced thanks to a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, then that was how it was called achalasia, which refers to the lack of relaxation.
