What is a Bolus?

A bolus is a round or oval-shaped mixture of food. We create these boluses after we chew food in the mouth, and then mix it with saliva. The tongue will then roll the food and turn the food into a bolus.

This food is made into boluses so that it can easily move through the esophagus to the stomach. Movement through the esophagus is made possible by peristalsis. Peristalsis is the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the esophagus to push food down to the stomach.

This peristalsis can be unable to function well in some diseases known as, disorders of esophageal motility. These disorders are classified into;