Many Causes for Dysphagia, Difficulty Swallowing, Painful Swallowing, Swallowing Pain Problems

Swallowing is one of those actions taken many times a day without much notice.  Dysphagia is one of those swallowing symptoms that rarely goes unnoticed.  Swallowing is simply coordinated contractions of your esophagus muscles, that instantly moves food from your mouth to your stomach.

Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing.  And swallowing difficulties may befall you with or without pain. Your painful swallowing may be felt anywhere from your neck to your breastbone.

Eating too fast and not chewing your food adequately is the main cause for intermittent swallowing difficulties.  But unrelenting episodes that make it difficult for you to swallow may be caused by a problem with your esophagus or some other health condition.

There are many causes for dysphagia.  Another condition, an infection or merely swallowing certain medications can create a painfully uncoordinated swallow.

Your swallowing problems can be caused by any one of these conditions or circumstances:

GERD is the most common cause of dysphagia, occurring because stomach acid gets into your esophagus cooking up painful difficult swallowing discomfort.

Sometimes, an infection can be a cause for problem swallowing, the likes of:

Swallowing difficulty can also be connected to medications or supplements your are taking regularly, such as:

Some even experience dysphagia without a physical cause.  Just a lump in their throat without an actual swallowing difficulty.

Symptoms that may accompany your dysphagia and painful swallowing might include:

Your infant or child can have dysphagia and not have the ability to communicate their swallowing difficulties.  Demonstrated signs and symptoms of painful swallowing discomfort may be noticed by:

  • tensing
  • gagging
  • coughing
  • weight loss
  • slow growth
  • lack of attention
  • slow weight gain
  • repeated swallowing
  • breast feeding problems
  • food, liquid mouth leaking
  • lengthy feeding, eating times
  • frequent respiratory infections
  • refusing to eat foods of different textures
  • spitting up, vomiting during feeding or meals
  • inability to coordinate breathing with eating and drinking

In some cases, difficulty swallowing can lead to some serious consequences:

Don’t hesitate to notify your health care professional when your swallow problem also involves these other symptoms:

Swallowing treatment depends on the cause for its difficulty. Here are examples of how broad the range is for treating a swallow displeasure:

  • change your diet
  • special liquid diets
  • esophagus stretching
  • feeding tube insertion
  • adding thickeners to food
  • learn different ways to eat & chew
  • medications to reduce stomach acid
  • holding head or neck in a certain way
  • surgery to clear your esophageal path
  • exercises to help coordinate swallowing muscles
  • stimulate the nerves that trigger the swallowing reflex
  • medications to relax your esophagus & reduce discomfort

Prolonged swallowing difficulties can have a major affect on your health.  So early treatment is worth a swallow.

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