Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing
Symptoms
- Pain with swallowing
- Drooling
- Weak voice
- Weight loss
- Coughing when swallowing
Causes
Neurological
- CVA
- Parkinsons
- MS
- Dementia
Obstruction
- Cancer
- Pharyngeal pouches
- Eosinophilic esophagitis
- Scar tissue
- TB
Muscular conditions
- Scleroderma
Other
- Increased age
- Head or neck surgery
Diagnosis
- Endoscopy
- Fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing
- Manometry (muscle test)
- Imaging scans
Treatment
- Exercises
- Botox
- Esophageal dilation/stent placement
- Medications (PPI)
- Diet (avoid alcohol and caffeine, eating smaller, more frequent meals, avoid sticky foods, eat slowly, thicken liquids, mash/blend food, use a straw to drink liquids and soft foods, eat cold or room-temperature foods to reduce pain, sit upright.
- Feeding tube