Illustrate processes that are difficult to visualize

Esophageal Pressures

Understanding normal swallowing is a prerequisite to understanding how various diseases can disrupt this process. Traditional static diagrams (see 'Traditional' figure) require considerable mental work to integrate into a coherent visual image of the pressure changes during swallowing.

An animation of swallowing (see 'New' figure) shows the process in a dynamic fashion. One purpose of the diagram is to illustrate how the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) functions in normal swallowing, since this is a common site of dysfunction in many conditions including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Use the buttons in the 'New' diagram to play or step through the sequence of normal swallowing.