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What Causes Pain And Difficulty In Swallowing, Vomiting, Indigestion And Heart Burn?

Posted on Sat, 14 May 2016

Question: Had some swallowing issues for a few years now. Every few weeks to a month i will take my first bite of food and it seems to not go down and causes pain in my chest and upper back. Usually (90% of the time) it will pass by raising my arms etc and then its fine but every so often i will have to expel (vomit) the food back up and then it takes longer to go away. Had an episode of this two days ago that lasted about 25 minutes (longest yet) and yesterday and today when i swallow i feel like i can only feel the right side of my throat. The left side has no feeling. Also have increased heartburn. My diet is decent but i dont get much exercise and not sure it matters but i quit smoking completly 46 days ago. I have substituted snuff (tobacco pouches) during the day to curb nicotine craving. Im a 38yo white male with no seeious medical history. Ive made an appointment monday to see my pcp and get a referrell to a ENT doctor but thats a few days away and i am pretty terrified when i read online this could be cancer. No history of cancer in my family.
Any help would be greatlet appreciated and help ease my fears.

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (10 hours later)

Brief Answer:
There is no cause for worry.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query.

1. Pain is usually a sign of inflammation, mostly due to reflux rather than cancer.

2. Esophageal cancers are rare. Obstruction and vomiting can also have many other causes.

3. Esophageal pain does radiate to the back. You have not mentioned any medical treatment. Severe acid reflux can also cause all these symptoms.

4. Routine medication includes a Proton pump inhibitor, (such as rabeprazole ) a pro kinetic, ( such as levosulpiride ) anesthetic suspension (such as Mucaine Gel ). Anti - spasmodic and anti- vomitting medication requires a prescription.

5. A simple endoscopy and imaging studies can conclusively rule out any serious issue. Request medication for relief till your examination is done.

I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sumit Bhatti (4 hours later)

I am not experiencing any pain whatsoever in my throat just feels like left side has no feeling. Is this also normal? Does this have anything to do with quitting smoking?

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (41 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Numbness is abnormal. No relation to quitting smoking.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for writing back.

1. Numbness in the throat is not normal. It may be transient due to local inflammation.

2. True numbness can cause aspiration and choking. If there is no such problem, it is not a cause for worry.

3. Investigations will reveal the cause.

4. This is not related to quitting smoking.

I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.

Regards.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Naveen Kumar