"At rest, the esophagus is like a slender, flexible tube. As bulky foods move through, it stretches to expand around it as needed. Consider how a snake body expands around its prey when eating. Same thing! The upper portion of the esophagus is within the radiation field when the neck is being targeted. For this reason, it is important to swallow more bulky foods to ensure the regular "stretching" of this part of the esophagus. In this way, you are helping to discourage the fibrosis from taking a strong hold on the flexible muscular fibers of the esophagus."