The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, just in front of the windpipe (trachea). One of its main functions is to produce hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism (the process that turns food into energy). These hormones are called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Many of the body's functions slow down when the thyroid doesn't produce enough of these hormones.
Esophageal spasm is a disorder of the rhythmic waves of muscular contractions (peristalsis) of the esophagus. The cause of this disorder is not known. Symptoms include chest pain and difficulty swallowing.
The symptoms are similar for both types of esophageal spasm. They include: 1  Chest pain similar to that of a heart attack. 2  This symptom is reported by 80 to 90 percent of people suffering from esophageal spasms.3  Difficulty swallowing, or feeling like food is stuck in the throat. 4  Heartburn similar to that produced by GERD. painful and sometimes frightening problem associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is esophageal spasm, which produces an intense chest-filling pain that leads some people to believe they are having a heart attack.