A barium swallow is a type of test used to look inside the esophagus, or food pipe. A doctor might recommend this test if they need to look at the outline of any part of a person’s digestive system.

What Is an Upper GI Series? An upper GI series is a group of X-ray tests that look at your GI tract -- your food pipe (the esophagus), stomach, and the first part of your small intestine (the duodenum ...

A barium swallow is a type of X-ray test that helps your doctor see the back of your mouth and throat (pharynx), and the tube that extends from the back of the tongue down to the stomach (esophagus).