What difficulties does esophageal dysmotility cause?

Hello doctor,

I am a 37-year-old female and have been told that I have esophageal dysmotility, but have to wait to see a gastroenterologist. What is the condition and what is its prognosis? I have a medical history of rhinitis and polyps and have been experiencing hiccups quite a lot for the past two years, and a fullness in my throat on and off which I had been putting down to my rhinitis.

The symptoms started twelve weeks ago. I was off work for several months due to anxiety issues. It started as a weird tingling sensation below Adam's apple. I felt initially a tingle then coughed (which I do voluntarily to relieve the tingling). I felt like any itchy lung and could hear whistling noises from my throat. My breathing would sound raspy. I feel the symptoms got worse the past two weeks, as I find difficulty breathing and mucus around my chest or throat. I was informed that my lungs were clear when I visited the center, and they said it was due to my anxiety. I was prescribed Omeprazole which helped a lot. However, I still feel pressure and dryness in my lower throat.

I visited an ENT specialist privately and had a barium swallow which revealed ‘esophageal dysmotility.’ I was told that it was mild but that the liquid was returning up to my chest before going back down again. The ENT discharged me and referred me to gastroenterology. However, I have a bit of a wait and cannot find much about dysmotility on the internet. I want to know if this is common. Can it go away or is it something that I will have forever? I want to avoid having an endoscopy if possible.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thanks for your response.

I think anxiety has a part to do with this, as I have never had significant problems with my esophagus before. For the past two years I have been experiencing isolated hiccups throughout the day after meals, but has not bothered me as I had put it down to eating very fast.

I will certainly try to manage my anxiety. I have been putting off the medication as my stress is gradually improving. Just one more question, do you think that exercise or running will be fine or can it make this kind of symptoms worse? Is there any type of exercise I should avoid?

Thank you.