When you have a problem with swallowing, the medical term for the condition is "dysphagia". The symptoms of dysphagia vary from occasionally being unable to swallow a larger morsel of foods or problems when you don't slow down and enjoy your food to extreme closing or weakness of the throat muscles. Severe cases can result in almost complete inability to get food or liquids from the mouth to the stomach. The doctor may prescribe a swallow study for dysphagia in order to accurately diagnose the location and extent of the problem.
When the problems are minor, they might not need to have intervention by a medical professional. However, even minor problems can worsen with age, so that it will eventually require treatment. The level of treatment will depend upon the severity and nature of the swallowing problem.
The symptoms of dysphagia might be occasional problems with swallowing a large piece of food. It could be significant pain related to each swallow. Some patients experience a sensation of feeling as if food is stuck in the esophagus. Others not only feel the obstruction, but actually have a narrowing of the esophageal tube so that food actually can get stuck.
There are multiple different causes for dysphagia. They include achalasia, diffuse spasm, esophageal stricture or tumors. Foreign bodies or narrowing of the esophageal ring cause difficulty swallowing solid food. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)is a common problem which causes increasing scarring and damage to the esophagus, due to the action of stomach acid. Eosinophilic esophagitis, scleroderma, and radiation therapy can each cause problems in the ability to swallow, or to move food into the stomach.
Several conditions are grouped as oropharyngeal dysphagia. The individual with these issues may experience choking, coughing or gagging on food when swallowing is attempted. In some instances, it feels as if liquids or foods have gone down the trachea. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or muscular dystrophy are neurological disorders which cause the symptoms. They can also arise from a brain or spinal cord injury or from a stroke. A pouch can form and food is trapped there in a condition called pharyngeal diverticula.
Diagnostic studies include inserting an endoscope (a small lighted tube) into the throat and using fiber-optics to visually examine the throat. Measuring the muscle pressure in the throat requires a manometry procedure.
There are various imaging studies, ranging from x-rays to CT scans. Each of these involves the use of barium, either by drinking a solution containing barium or ingesting a pill coated with barium. A PET scan uses radioactive tracers and an MRI makes use of radio and magnetic forces.
The dynamic study for dysphagia requires the patient to swallow various consistencies of food, each coated with barium. The barium allows for tracking the functionality of the muscles and structure of the throat. The images track the path of the food as it travels down the throat. This set of images will allow the doctor to determine where the problems or weaknesses are located.
When the problems are minor, they might not need to have intervention by a medical professional. However, even minor problems can worsen with age, so that it will eventually require treatment. The level of treatment will depend upon the severity and nature of the swallowing problem.
The symptoms of dysphagia might be occasional problems with swallowing a large piece of food. It could be significant pain related to each swallow. Some patients experience a sensation of feeling as if food is stuck in the esophagus. Others not only feel the obstruction, but actually have a narrowing of the esophageal tube so that food actually can get stuck.
There are multiple different causes for dysphagia. They include achalasia, diffuse spasm, esophageal stricture or tumors. Foreign bodies or narrowing of the esophageal ring cause difficulty swallowing solid food. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)is a common problem which causes increasing scarring and damage to the esophagus, due to the action of stomach acid. Eosinophilic esophagitis, scleroderma, and radiation therapy can each cause problems in the ability to swallow, or to move food into the stomach.
Several conditions are grouped as oropharyngeal dysphagia. The individual with these issues may experience choking, coughing or gagging on food when swallowing is attempted. In some instances, it feels as if liquids or foods have gone down the trachea. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or muscular dystrophy are neurological disorders which cause the symptoms. They can also arise from a brain or spinal cord injury or from a stroke. A pouch can form and food is trapped there in a condition called pharyngeal diverticula.
Diagnostic studies include inserting an endoscope (a small lighted tube) into the throat and using fiber-optics to visually examine the throat. Measuring the muscle pressure in the throat requires a manometry procedure.
There are various imaging studies, ranging from x-rays to CT scans. Each of these involves the use of barium, either by drinking a solution containing barium or ingesting a pill coated with barium. A PET scan uses radioactive tracers and an MRI makes use of radio and magnetic forces.
The dynamic study for dysphagia requires the patient to swallow various consistencies of food, each coated with barium. The barium allows for tracking the functionality of the muscles and structure of the throat. The images track the path of the food as it travels down the throat. This set of images will allow the doctor to determine where the problems or weaknesses are located.
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