What does it mean to have difficulty swallowing?
Difficulty swallowing happens when there is trouble passing food and liquids from the mouth, throat, and esophagus before it travels to the stomach. Difficulty swallowing can be a symptom of many different issues ranging from muscle spasms to food allergies. It is important to identify the cause of the difficulty so the right treatment can be administered before it leads to a serious issue. To learn about the treatment options available to you, contact our GI doctors at GI Alliance to set up an appointment.
What causes swallowing difficulties?
The causes of difficulty swallowing don’t have one specific reason. When you experience trouble swallowing, it can be because of an underlying condition that has gone undiagnosed, a food allergy, or inflammation in your esophagus. Below are some reasons why difficulty swallowing may be happening:
- Muscle spasms
- Achalasia (when the muscle that lets food into the stomach doesn’t relax at the right time)
- Foreign bodies in the throat or esophagus
- Esophageal rings (a thin ring of tissue above the stomach that is narrower than the rest of the esophagus)
- GERD
- Neurological disorders
- Hypothyroidism
Difficulty swallowing can affect those of all different ages but is more common in older adults. To learn more about the different causes and the treatments that are available to you, schedule an appointment with the GI specialists at GI Alliance.
What are the symptoms of swallowing difficulty?
Difficulty swallowing can point to a variety of conditions. When dealing with difficulty swallowing, it is important to get treatment as quickly as possible to ensure that you can breathe and eat normally. The main symptoms of difficulty swallowing include things like:
A sigmoidoscope is used to view the inside of the rectum and lower colon. A finger-sized thick tube with a camera at the end is inserted from the rectum, and images of the inner wall of the rectum and part of the colon can be seen on the monitor. It can be used to take a biopsy of the polyp or tumor and remove some polyps. However, a colonoscopy needs to be done to view the whole colon and remove all polyps or tumors. It is fairly safe but has a small risk of bowel tear, bleeding, and infection.
A colonoscope is similar to a sigmoidoscope but is longer and is used to examine the inner wall of the whole colon. It is inserted from the rectum, and the doctor can see the images of the entire colon on the monitor. Special surgical tools can be passed through the colonoscope to take a biopsy and remove polyps. Sedation is required. There is a small risk of bowel tears, bleeding, or infection after the procedure. It’s important to note this is the only colorectal prevention strategy offered.
This is the computed tomography scan of the colon. The person is asked to lie on a table of the CT scanner, which takes cross-sectional images of the colon. It is a non-invasive technique and does not require sedation. If any abnormalities are found, a colonoscopy needs to be done to remove the polyps or tumors.
A small tube is inserted in the rectum, and barium sulfate, a white chalky liquid, and air is pumped into the colon. The barium suspension lines the outer walls of the colon. X-ray images of the colon are then taken to reveal abnormalities on the inner wall of the colon. If any abnormalities are found, a colonoscopy needs to be done to remove the polyps or tumors.
These are done with the fecal sample and are totally safe. Fecal tests may not give confirmatory results but may suggest abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract, warranting further tests. A colonoscopy needs to be repeated if results are positive, indicating the presence of cancerous growth in the colon. There are three types of fecal tests:
- Fecal occult blood tests detect blood in the feces that is not visible to normal eyes through a chemical reaction.
- Fecal immunochemical tests detect blood through a specific immunochemical reaction of a protein in the blood and can detect hidden blood.
- Stool DNA tests look for certain abnormal DNA genes in the cells shed from cancerous outgrowth or polyps in the stool sample.
- Pain in the throat while swallowing
- Inability to swallow
- A sensation of food in the throat
- Hoarseness
- Frequent heartburn
- Trouble breathing
Schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist at GI Alliance today if you experience any combination of the above symptoms regularly. It is important to see your doctor if weight loss or vomiting accompanies your difficulty swallowing.
What are the treatments for difficulty swallowing?
The treatment for difficulty swallowing starts with identifying the source of the difficulty. If the cause is food allergies, the right steps will be taken to reduce swelling and you will be asked to avoid the food. In the case of esophagitis, we will narrow down the cause, determining whether it is from an infection (infectious esophagitis), or reflux esophagitis. For muscle spasms in the throat, we may recommend medications to relax the muscles or surgery. Let the GI physicians at GI Alliance help you regain your ability to swallow.
