Dysphagia: symptoms, causes, to drug choices • hello healthy

Definition

What is dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)?

Dysphagia is a medical term used to describe difficulty swallowing. This condition occurs when your body takes more time and effort to move food or fluids from your mouth to your stomach.

The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the throat (pharynx) to the stomach. The esophagus is about 20 cm long, and is covered with a pink, moist tissue called mucosa.

The esophagus is located behind the trachea and heart, and in front of the spine. Before entering the stomach, the esophagus passes through the diaphragm.

Dysphagia is usually a sign of problems with your throat or esophagus, when you eat too fast or don't chew enough food. This is not a cause for concern.

However, prolonged dysphagia can indicate a serious medical condition that requires treatment.

What are the types of this condition?

Dysphagia can be divided into difficulty starting to swallow (called oropharyngeal dysphagia) and the sensation of food stuck in the neck or chest (called esophageal dysphagia). The treatment given by the doctor will depend on the type of difficulty swallowing.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia

This condition can result from abnormal function of the nerves and muscles of the mouth, pharynx (back of the throat) and upper esophageal sphincter (the muscle at the top end of the swallowing tube.

Esophageal dysphagia

Disorders that involve the swallowed tube (esophagus) can cause esophageal dysphagia.

Dysphagia needs to be distinguished from odynophagia, which is pain when swallowing. This can arise from infection or inflammation of the esophagus.

The condition of difficulty swallowing is also different from the globus sensation. tu is a condition in which something gets stuck in the back of the throat, which usually doesn't make swallowing difficult.

How common is dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)?

Dysphagia is common. Although it can happen to anyone, dysphagia is most common in the elderly, infants, and people with disorders of the brain or nervous system.

Dysphagia can be treated by reducing risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of dysphagia?

By definition, difficulty swallowing is a sensation when food or drink does not pass through the path properly. Symptoms largely depend on the location where the disorder caused the condition.

The Mayo Clinic lists the common signs and symptoms of dysphagia, namely:

Pain when swallowing (odynophagia)
Cannot swallow
Have a sensation of food getting stuck in the throat or chest or behind the breastbone (sternum)
Salivate
Hoarse
Food rises to the top (regurgitation)
Gastric acid rises
Weight loss suddenly
Cough or want to vomit when swallowing
Need to cut food into small pieces or avoid certain foods because of difficulty swallowing.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

You should call your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms: difficulty swallowing, weight loss, regurgitation or vomiting that accompanies dysphagia.

Cause

What causes dysphagia?

Swallowing is a complex process and several conditions can interfere with this process. Sometimes, the cause of the condition can't be identified. However, in general the causes of dysphagia are:

Oropharyngeal dysphagia

Several conditions can cause the muscles and nerves that help move food through the throat and esophagus to not function properly. You may choke, choke, or cough when you try to swallow.

You may also feel the sensation of food or drink (liquid) flowing down the airway (trachea) or up into the nose. This condition can cause pneumonia.

The causes of this type of dysphagia are:

Stroke, injury to the brain or spinal cord.
Certain problems with the nervous system

Examples include post-polio syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, or Parkinson's disease.

Problems with the immune system

This problem can cause swelling (or inflammation) and weakness, such as polymyositis or dermatomyositis.

Spasms in the esophagus

The muscles in the esophagus suddenly contract. Sometimes this can prevent food from reaching the stomach.

Scleroderma

The tissue in the esophagus becomes hard and narrow. Scleroderma can also weaken the muscles below the esophagus, which causes food and stomach acid to return to your throat and mouth.

Cancer

Some types of cancer and cancer treatments, such as radiation, can make swallowing difficult.

Esophageal dysphagia

This condition occurs when you feel the sensation of sticky or hanging food in the larynx or chest after you start swallowing. This can happen if you have:

Achalasia

This condition occurs when the esophageal muscles (sphincter) don't rest properly to allow food to enter the stomach. This may cause food to back up in your throat.

The muscles in the wall of the esophagus may also weaken and will worsen over time.

Diffuse seizures

This condition results in multiple, high-pressure, poorly coordinated contractions of the esophagus after you swallow. Diffuse spasms affect the involuntary muscles in the wall of the lower esophagus.

Esophageal stricture

A narrowed esophagus (stricture) can trap large amounts of food. The narrowing is often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Esophageal tumor

Tumor growth in the esophagus may or may not cause cancer.

Foreign object

Sometimes food or other objects can block the throat or esophagus. Older people wearing dentures or people who have difficulty chewing are more likely to have a piece of food lodged in the throat or esophagus.

This condition can also occur when you drink very acidic / very alkaline liquids, such as bleach products.

Gastric acid (GERD)

If stomach acid frequently rises into the esophagus, it can cause ulcers in the esophagus, which can cause injury. These sores can make the esophagus narrow.

Eosinophilic esophagitis

Inflammation of the esophagus can be caused by several factors, such as stomach acid, infection or a pill stuck in the esophagus.

This condition can also be caused by an allergic reaction to food or objects in the air.

Esophageal ring

A thin area of narrowing in the lower esophagus can make it difficult to swallow solid food.

Scleroderma

The development of tissue such as scars causes hardening of the tissue. This can weaken your lower esophageal spincter, allowing acid to back up into your esophagus.

Radiation therapy

This cancer treatment can cause inflammation and injure the esophagus,

What increases my risk of developing dysphagia?

Risk factors for dysphagia are:

Aging. Due to natural aging, an aging esophagus, and the risk of certain conditions such as stroke or Parkinson's disease, the elderly are at a higher risk of having difficulty swallowing.
Certain health conditions. People with neurological or nervous system disorders have an easier time swallowing.

Diagnosis

How is dysphagia diagnosed?

The doctor will perform a physical examination to make a diagnosis of your condition. Examinations that may be done to diagnose dysphagia are:

X-ray with contrast material (barium x-ray)

You will be asked to drink a barium solution that coats your esophagus, allowing it to show up better on X-rays. The doctor can see changes in the shape of the esophagus and muscle activity.

Your doctor may also ask you to swallow a solid food or a pill coated with barium to look at the muscles in your throat as you swallow. This method can also see obstructions in your esophagus.

Dynamic swallowing study

You swallow barium-coated food of a different consistency. This test will show how the food passes through the mouth and down the throat.

The picture can show problems with the coordination of the mouth and throat muscles when you swallow and see if food gets into the respiratory tract.

Visual examination of the esophagus (endoscopy)

This examination is done with a thin, flexible instrument that is passed through your throat. The doctor can see the image that shows the condition through the screen.

Fiber-optic endoscopic swallowing evaluation (FEES)

The doctor will do this with a special camera (endoscope) when you try to swallow food.

Esophageal muscle test (manometry)

In this test, a small tube is inserted into your esophagus and connected to a pressure recording device to measure the contraction of the esophageal muscles when you swallow.

Imaging scans

This examination includes a CT scan, which combines a series of X-rays and a computer process.

Treatment

How to treat dysphagia?

Treatment for dysphagia is:

Oropharyngeal dysphagia

The methods below may be able to solve your condition:

Changing the food you eat. Your doctor may ask you to eat certain foods and fluids to make it easier to swallow.
Some exercises can help coordinate your swallowing muscles and stimulate the nerves that trigger your swallowing reflex.
You will also need to learn swallowing techniques. You may learn to place food in your mouth to prepare your body and head to swallow.

Esophageal dysphagia

The methods below may be able to solve your condition:

Dilation

A device is placed in your esophagus to widen the area of the esophagus which is narrow. You may need this treatment more than once.

Operation

If you have something blocked in your esophagus (such as a tumor or diverticula), you may need surgery to remove it.

Surgery is also sometimes used on people who have problems that affect the muscles of the lower esophagus (achalasia).

Drugs

If you have dysphagia associated with acid reflux, stomach ulcers, or esophagitis, the medications your doctor prescribes can help prevent stomach acid from getting into your esophagus.

Infections of the esophagus are usually treated with antibiotic drugs.