Dysphagia

Dysphagia is a condition in which the process of swallowing food is difficult, extremely painful (see Odynophagia), or the person feels as if food is getting stuck in the esophagus before entering the stomach.

Causes of dysphagia:

1. Diseases of the oral cavity and pharynx (inflammation, tumors)

2. Blockage of the throat or esophagus

3. Painful damage to the walls of the pharynx and esophagus

4. External pressure on the pharynx or esophagus

5. Disorders of the muscles of the pharynx and esophagus

Symptoms of dysphagia:

1. Pain when swallowing

2. Feeling of a lump in the throat

3. Choking while eating

4. Food stuck in the esophagus

5. Weight loss and malnutrition

Dysphagia can occur with diseases such as laryngeal cancer, esophageal strictures, and Parkinson's disease. For treatment, it is necessary to eliminate the cause, as well as use speech therapy exercises, eat small portions of food, and use thickeners for liquids. Severe dysphagia may require a gastrostomy tube or feeding tube.

As a result of the disruption of the swallowing process, the patient's nutrition (especially aggressive foods such as coarse vegetables, meat, raw vegetables) is limited. This disorder of swallowing food (dysphagia in Latin) and its other variants are found in Sjögren's syndrome (which is characterized, among other things, by symptoms from parenchymal organs), Hamauri syndrome (which is also accompanied by carcinoid syndrome) and Plummer-Vinson syndrome (poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies - as a required attribute).

Difficulty in swallowing in the initial stages is practically not felt by the patient (with rare exceptions). As food moves into the esophagus or further along the digestive canal, dysphagia begins to bother the patient. With dysphagia, the patient notes a feeling of a “lump”, a feeling of “difficulty swallowing food”, sometimes difficulty breathing (when swallowing a large amount of heavy food - difficulty breathing) or simply difficulty moving the food bolus along the digestive tract. Sometimes the patient experiences fear, fear of repeating the swallowing process and fear of relapse. Patients in such cases refuse to take any food.

Dysphagia is a serious swallowing disorder that affects more than 90 million people worldwide. It can be caused by many different conditions related to the mouth, throat, pharynx and esophagus. Dysphagia can be defined as the inability to swallow and pass food due to problems with the larynx, pharynx, esophagus and oropharyngeal system. Food blockages and even tissue ruptures often occur, which can be quite traumatic. This in turn causes severe pain.

Dysphagia usually does not cause significant discomfort if it is minor, but severe dysphagia can impair a person's overall health. If dysphagia is not promptly diagnosed and treated, it can have serious consequences. The health care provider should carefully evaluate their patient to determine the causes of the swallowing disorder. In some cases, the cause may be blockage from foreign bodies, such as small pieces of food or gallstones. Dysphagia is caused by diseases such as diverticulosis of the esophagus, infiltration by neoplasms, pharyngeal stenosis due to cancer, aneurysm of the aortic arch, arsenic poisoning, esophageal cancer, condition after surgery for esophageal cancer; damage to the wall of the upper