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What Causes Pain In The Chest While Eating Or Drinking?
had some pain swallowing when drinking or eating in the esophagus. went to my primary care three weeks ago and put me on omeprazole dr 40 mg. said it could be esophagusitis. went to a gastro dr. he recommended a endoscopy. i decided to have a barium swallow test first. if there are any red flags then i am hoping this test will flag a red light if there is a problem. then step two.
Sat, 3 Sep 2016
Hello,
Thank you for your query.
Would you please clarify a few things for me?
-what sort of pain is it?
-where is it exactly?
-does it occur while you eat or after you eat?
-what helps to relieve it?
-any particular food items that make it worse?
-do you smoke or consume alcohol?
-do you have other symptoms? Fever, sweating, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation, bloating? Any other difficulty in swallowing? Weight loss?
-do you eat out often?
I recommend :
- blood tests (complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests, Thyroid tests)
-an endoscopy if diet modifications (see below) don't help.
- a gastroenterologist consult
Diet modifications :
- avoid carbonated, caffeinated, sugary and alcoholic beverages
-avoid oily, spicy and bitter foods
-have smaller but more frequent meals
-avoid processed, fried foods and refined grains
-avoid laying down up to two hours after meals.
-Chew food well (half the digestion should happen in the mouth)
-stay well hydrated.
-eat on time. Avoid long hours of starvation) more than 8 hrs at night
If after all these changes for a month, you still have difficulty or it worsens, please go for an endoscopy which gives a direct view of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
Wish you good health
Thank you for your query.
Would you please clarify a few things for me?
-what sort of pain is it?
-where is it exactly?
-does it occur while you eat or after you eat?
-what helps to relieve it?
-any particular food items that make it worse?
-do you smoke or consume alcohol?
-do you have other symptoms? Fever, sweating, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation, bloating? Any other difficulty in swallowing? Weight loss?
-do you eat out often?
I recommend :
- blood tests (complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests, Thyroid tests)
-an endoscopy if diet modifications (see below) don't help.
- a gastroenterologist consult
Diet modifications :
- avoid carbonated, caffeinated, sugary and alcoholic beverages
-avoid oily, spicy and bitter foods
-have smaller but more frequent meals
-avoid processed, fried foods and refined grains
-avoid laying down up to two hours after meals.
-Chew food well (half the digestion should happen in the mouth)
-stay well hydrated.
-eat on time. Avoid long hours of starvation) more than 8 hrs at night
If after all these changes for a month, you still have difficulty or it worsens, please go for an endoscopy which gives a direct view of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
Wish you good health
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