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What Causes Difficulty In Swallowing Food?
Question: While swallowing food, it seems getting stuck for a while in the food pipe before going in. Looks like the
throat has narrowed. What could it be.
throat has narrowed. What could it be.
Brief Answer:
As below:
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. The causes for such swallowing problems range from simple ones like dryness, acid reflux, anemia, stress to motility disorders, strictures and blockage of the food pipe.
2. A systematic set of investigations starting with a throat examination, a videolaryngoscopy, a barium swallow study, esophagoscopy and gastroscopy, Blood tests, X-rays and Scans will help narrow down the problem.
3. How is your voice? Is there any cough or post nasal drip? Do you snore? Do you have any history of exposure to tobacco or alcohol? Since how long are these symptoms? is it progressive?
4. Most of the severe causes are rare. Difficulty in swallowing solids usually indicates an obstructive lesion while difficulty in swallowing water and liquids signifies a neurological problem.
5. Swallowing ia a complex process. Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing with Sensory Testing (FEESST) are new fiber optic techniques to observe and record swallowing.
6. Kindly let me know the results of your investigations. This will help in suggesting further treatment.
Hope, I have answered your query. Please accept my answer in case you do not have further queries.
Regards.
As below:
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. The causes for such swallowing problems range from simple ones like dryness, acid reflux, anemia, stress to motility disorders, strictures and blockage of the food pipe.
2. A systematic set of investigations starting with a throat examination, a videolaryngoscopy, a barium swallow study, esophagoscopy and gastroscopy, Blood tests, X-rays and Scans will help narrow down the problem.
3. How is your voice? Is there any cough or post nasal drip? Do you snore? Do you have any history of exposure to tobacco or alcohol? Since how long are these symptoms? is it progressive?
4. Most of the severe causes are rare. Difficulty in swallowing solids usually indicates an obstructive lesion while difficulty in swallowing water and liquids signifies a neurological problem.
5. Swallowing ia a complex process. Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing with Sensory Testing (FEESST) are new fiber optic techniques to observe and record swallowing.
6. Kindly let me know the results of your investigations. This will help in suggesting further treatment.
Hope, I have answered your query. Please accept my answer in case you do not have further queries.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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