What if you have difficulty swallowing

Dysphagia may mean that you avoid eating and drinking due to a fear of choking, which can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. Dysphagia can also affect your quality of life because it may prevent you from enjoying meals and social occasions. If children with long-term dysphagia aren't eating enough, they may not get the essential nutrients they need for physical and mental development.

Children who have difficulty eating may also find meal times stressful, which may lead to behavioural problems. Our guide to care and support explains your options and where you can get support.

Page last reviewed: 04 March Next review due: 04 March Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Thus, the treatment can vary greatly from medication to lifestyle changes to surgical procedures depending on the underlying cause. For conditions like GERD , you may find that prescription medications to reduce your stomach acid will do the trick. If you have a narrowing of the esophagus due to scar tissue, your doctor may use an endoscopy balloon to break up the scar tissue and stretch out the esophagus.

In other cases, your doctor may recommend swallowing therapy or swallowing techniques to help improve the muscle and how they respond. For those who may no longer be able to consume food by mouth such as patients with advanced esophagus cancer , a feeding system, such as a feeding tube, may help bypass swallowing and ensure they are getting the necessary nutrition.

If you are noticing a sudden or gradual change in your ability to swallow, schedule an appointment with your physician or a specialist to be evaluated. To find a Banner Health specialist near you, visit bannerhealth. By Regan Olsson , Contributing Writer. Jul 20, Teach Me. What is dysphagia? What are the causes for dysphagia? Depending on the severity of the infection, swallowing can become difficult.

Heart pain also tends to accompany herpes esophagitis, while herpes simplex labialis affects the mouth. You can also develop swallowing difficulties as part of an allergic histamine reaction. Breathing may also be affected, so medical care is urgent if you suspect swallowing is connected to an allergy.

Treating the underlying condition, when possible, often relieves dysphagia, and physical therapy can help those with neurological disorders to compensate. As experts with all aspects of your throat and esophagus health, the team at Lakeshore Ear, Nose and Throat Center is ready to help you.

Simply choose the most convenient of their five offices in southeast Michigan. You can call or request an appointment online using the handy tool.

Normally, the muscles in your throat and esophagus squeeze, or contract, to move food and liquids from your mouth to your stomach without problems. Sometimes, though, food and liquids have trouble getting to your stomach. There are two types of problems that can make it hard for food and liquids to travel down your esophagus:.

A dry mouth can make dysphagia worse. This is because you may not have enough saliva to help move food out of your mouth and through your esophagus. A dry mouth can be caused by medicines or another health problem.

Dysphagia can come and go, be mild or severe, or get worse over time. If you have dysphagia, you may:. If you are having difficulty swallowing, your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and examine you. He or she will want to know if you have trouble swallowing solids, liquids, or both. He or she will also want to know where you think foods or liquids are getting stuck, whether and for how long you have had heartburn, and how long you have had difficulty swallowing.

He or she may also check your reflexes, muscle strength, and speech. Your doctor may then refer you to one of the following specialists:. In rare cases, a person who has severe dysphagia may need a feeding tube because he or she is not able to get enough food and liquids. Kahrilas MD - Gastroenterology. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.

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