We are running Torino City Marathon and to make it all worthwhile we have chosen to raise funds for Achalasia Action.

Achalasia is a rare condition that we have come to know about through a friend that has suffered from it growing up. She has since co-founded the first UK charity that is dedicated to it.

They have lots of exciting projects coming up. For example, they will be doing a participatory research project on people’s experience of misdiagnosis. This is an important project for the achalasia community, as many people with the condition take many years (sometime decades) to get a diagnosis. The project will be kicking off in a couple of weeks, so watch this space for updates!

We would be incredibly grateful for any contribution you can make towards our fundraising

Giac,

Lambi,

Bonni

Achalasia Action - Uniting for a rare swallowing condition

Achalasia is a rare swallowing condition (affecting around 10 in 100,000 people) that prevents food from reaching the stomach properly. In people with achalasia, the muscles in the oesophagus, (the food pipe) do not work properly, and the entrance to the stomach often fails to open. Food and drink then blocks back into the oesophagus and can remain there for a long time.

This stuck food creates pressure, causing people with achalasia discomfort and sometimes intense pain in the chest area. People with achalasia can also experience other symptoms including regurgitation of food, chest spasms that can feel like a heart attack, weight loss, and malnutrition. Symptoms of achalasia can have a significant impact on a person’s life, but each person experiences the condition differently. There are surgical interventions that can treat the symptoms of achalasia, but there is no cure.

We don’t know what causes the condition, and awareness of achalasia is very low, even amongst the medical profession. Moreover, because swallowing problems can have various different causes, people with achalasia can take up to many years to get a diagnosis, are often misdiagnosed, and left without answers.

Achalasia Action is the only achalasia charity in the UK. They aim to bring people with achalasia together and to help everyone improve their understanding of this rare condition.

Achalasia Action:

- provides a friendly and well-informed community, education and guidance to support those with achalasia and their loved ones

- aims to create awareness of the disease amongst patients, their families, the medical profession and the wider public

- collaborates with the medical community and encourages achalasia-related research

Achalasia Action are a volunteer-led charity with no paid staff. This means that 100% of your donation is used for funding the charity’s work.