Esophageal Spasm The esophagus is the tube in the chest that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.  The muscles in the esophagus can spasm.  When this occurs, it mimics a heart attack and can be very painful. Difficulty swallowing solids and liquids Hot or cold liquids may cause spasms Chest pain (that is not related to physical exertion) Barium esophagography may show contractions in a "corkscrew" or "rosary bead" appearance Esophageal manometry -- measures esophageal pressures Reassurance of benign nature of this disease Nitrates Calcium channel blockers Esophageal dilation in severe cases Surgical treatment if there is severe discomfort and all other treatments fail These conditions give a similar type of pain: Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) Angina Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Pulmonary Embolism Aortic Dissection Esophageal Cancer