Which swallowing disorder is defined as a passive expulsion of food or fluid and is localized based on the cause of esophageal abnormality?

• A. Regurgitation
• B. Dysphagia
• C. Vomiting
• D. Reflux

Answer: (A)

Regurgitation is the passive expulsion of swallowed material that comes back up without the person actively forcing it or experiencing nausea and retching. Because the flow is passive, the material is often undigested and its point of emergence can hint at where the esophageal problem lies—such as a stricture, ring, or diverticulum at a particular level. This helps distinguish it from vomiting, which is a forceful, coordinated expulsion of gastric contents usually preceded by nausea and retching. It also differs from reflux, which is the backward movement of stomach contents into the esophagus and typically presents with heartburn or irritation rather than a localized, passive bolus expulsion. Dysphagia, by contrast, is difficulty swallowing, not an expulsion event.