Swallowing Problems (Dysphagia)
From time to time, food can get stuck in your throat or oesophagus (the tube linking your throat to your stomach) for a few seconds. However, if this happens regularly, gets stuck for longer than a few seconds, or it hurts to swallow anything, you should get a check-up.
The medical term for difficulty swallowing is dysphagia. Dysphagia can cause problems swallowing certain foods or liquids. Or it may mean you are not able to swallow at all.
Speak to one of our specialists if you are experiencing any of these issues.
Read on to learn more about symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment for swallowing problems.
Related Symptoms
Symptoms of dysphagia
As well as trouble swallowing, signs of dysphagia include:
- Choking or coughing when eating
- Bringing food back up
- Feeling like food is stuck in your throat or behind your chest bone
- Excess salivation
- Trouble chewing food
Left untreated, dysphagia can cause weight loss and chest infections.
Causes
The following health conditions can cause swallowing problems:
- Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE)
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
- Achalasia
- Oesophageal cancer
These digestive health conditions can all cause the oesophagus to narrow, making it harder to swallow.
Certain neurological conditions, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis, can also cause dysphagia.
If you have one of these conditions, speak with our specialists to understand how they could be affecting your swallowing.
Diagnosis
If your doctor suspects a digestive health problem is causing your swallowing problems, they may refer you to us to speak with one of our gastroenterologists.
We may carry out one or more of the following tests to reach a diagnosis:
Treatment for swallowing problems
The best treatment for swallowing problems depends on its underlying cause.
We can treat both eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) and achalasia with endoscopic dilation. Other treatments for EoE include:
- 6 food elimination diet
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) medications
- Topical swallowed steroids (Budesonide)
We can treat GORD with:
- Medications to suppress or counteract acid
- Lifestyle modifications (diet, weight loss, exercise)
- Anti-reflux procedures (Stretta, transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), LINX)
- Anti-reflux surgery (laparoscopic/keyhole Nissen fundoplication)
Oesophageal cancer treatment depends on the stage. In the early stages, endoscopic resection (ER) and HALO radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may be an option.
Later stages of the condition require surgery to remove the affected part of the oesophagus (an oesophagectomy). Other treatments include chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
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Book an appointment
Various conditions can cause swallowing problems, so you should speak to a specialist to discover which is causing yours.
Our expert team of gastroenterologists will discuss your symptoms with you and perform any necessary tests to determine the cause of your swallowing problems and the best treatment options.
Book a consultation today.