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Difficulty Swallowing

What is dysphagia?

Having trouble swallowing (dysphagia) impacts your overall well-being and health. Being able to swallow safely is crucial for proper nutrition and hydration, and it stops food and liquid from going into your lungs, which could lead to pneumonia.

What normally happens when you swallow?

Ingestion involves a sophisticated mechanism that necessitates the coordination of several muscles.

When you swallow:

  • Your mouth pushes food or liquid with your tongue towards the back of your throat.
  • When food reaches the throat, a tiny hinge known as the epiglottis shields the trachea, guiding the food towards the stomach and stopping you from breathing it in.
  • After food is swallowed, the muscles in the esophagus (the pipe linking the throat to the stomach) contract, pushing the food towards the stomach.
  • A circular band of muscles at the lower part of the esophagus expands to release the food into the stomach.

A problem in one or more of these areas can make it difficult or painful to swallow.

THROAT CONDITIONS

What is dysphagia?

Dysphagia is a condition that describes trouble with swallowing. It’s applied to different issues related to swallowing. Not every issue with swallowing is dysphagia — it’s common to experience occasional trouble swallowing specific foods or liquids, like when you’re eating big pieces of food. Still, persistent trouble swallowing might be something to worry about.

Based on which stage of swallowing is impacted, dysphagia can be characterised as:

  • Oral dysphagia — when the problem is in the mouth, usually due to the movement of the tongue
  • Pharyngeal or oropharyngeal dysphagia — when the problem is regarding food passing through the throat
  • Esophageal dysphagia — when food is unable to move down through the esophagus

Dysphagia symptoms

Swallowing disorders cause a variety of symptoms that include:

  • The sensation of difficulty in swallowing, with food or liquid seeming to get stuck in the throat or esophagus, and the feeling of it "sticking" as it travels to the stomach.
  • Odynophagia — the experience of pain while swallowing, which can occur in the throat or chest, and can resemble symptoms of heartburn or even heart-related issues.
  • Coughing — after eating can be due to food entering the throat too soon, pieces of food remaining in the throat after swallowing, or food coming back up. Since swallowing is a daily activity, linking coughing to swallowing may not always be clear.
  • Choking — the sensation of food or liquid getting stuck in the throat or esophagus, or going into the airways. Some individuals describe it as feeling like food is "going down the wrong pipe." If food or saliva reaches the airways, it can lead to a type of lung inflammation known as aspiration pneumonia. Individuals with impaired cognitive or sensory abilities due to a neurological condition are at a higher risk for aspiration pneumonia.
  • Regurgitation — the return of food or liquid to the mouth or throat (a normal part of swallowing moves food and liquid in one direction). Unlike vomiting, regurgitation occurs without retching, nausea, or the use of stomach muscles. The taste of the fluid entering the mouth or throat is important — if it tastes like the food that was swallowed, it usually points to a swallowing disorder; if it tastes sour or bitter, it suggests the food has come back from the stomach, which could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
  • Nasal regurgitation — is when food or liquid that was swallowed flows back into the nose. This occurs when the nasal passages do not close properly, and it may signal an issue with the nerves that control the muscles of the soft palate or throat.

Although the symptoms mentioned above occur while eating or after swallowing, certain indications of dysphagia can manifest without any involvement in eating, drinking, or swallowing.

Talk to your GP if you’ve been experiencing:

  • Persistent sore throat
  • Hoarseness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Trouble forming food and liquid into a soft ball (bolus) in the mouth
  • A need for extra time to chew or move food or liquid in the mouth
  • Trouble pushing food or liquid to the back of the mouth
  • Reflux or heartburn sensations
  • Vomiting

THROAT CONDITIONS

It is usually a sign of a problem with your throat or esophagus

Dysphagia can be a painful condition

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