Difficulty Swallowing

Difficulty swallowing (otherwise known as dysphagia) is an abnormal sensation during the process of swallowing.

Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty to initiate swallowing (called oropharyngeal dysphagia)
• Pain while swallowing
• Choking when eating
• Coughing or gagging when swallowing
• Sensation of food being stuck in neck or chest (called esophageal dysphagia)
• Bringing food back up (regurgitation)
• Drooling

The following tests are used to diagnose dysphagia:

• Barium swallow test (upper GI series) - patient swallows barium containing liquid, which shows up on X ray and demonstrates what is happening in esophagus during swallowing
• Endoscopy - a thin flexible tube with camera (endoscope) is used to examine the esophagus
• Esophageal manometry - a thin tube is inserted into the esophagus to measure the pressure at different places inside the esophagus. This test helps examine the muscles involved in swallowing process

Dysphagia may be due to a variety of causes, some of which are benign, but others more serious, such as achalasia (abnormal esophageal muscle relaxation), or even esophageal cancer. Therefore dysphagia needs to be promptly evaluated by a gastroenterologist.