Problems with passing food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach, a condition medically termed dysphagia. Normally when a person eats or drinks, the chewed food or liquid is swallowed by a sequence of several mechanical events. The tongue pushes the material to the back of the throat where muscle contractions quickly move it along. It passes from the back of the throat to the esophagus, the tube connecting to the stomach. Muscles at the top and bottom of the esophagus open and close quickly to propel food into the stomach. Difficulty swallowing can be painful and disturbing. The causes of the condition vary; how¬ ever, most are not medically serious and can usually be treated effectively.
Medically termed dysphagia, this is a prevalent symptom linked to numerous potential origins. These encompass factors like a foreign item lodged in the throat, inadequate saliva generation, oesophageal issues like oesophageal stricture, pressure on the oesophagus—such as due to a goitre—neurological conditions like myasthenia gravis or stroke, and psychological concerns like globus hystericus.
Examinations to assess difficulties with swallowing might involve procedures like a barium swallow or oesophagoscopy. The course of treatment is contingent on identifying the underlying cause.