Dysphagia

Dysphagia Explained: Symptoms, Causes and Types.

It becomes difficult to swallow, resulting in dysphagia. It may involve the throat (oropharyngeal dysphagia) or the esophagus (esophageal dysphagia), which results in discomfort, pain or a sensation that food remains lodged during swallowing or swallowing food or beverages.

Common Symptoms

You may notice:

• Something often stuck in your throat or chest.
• During meals, coughing or choking.
• Salivating/excessive salivation.
• Unintended weight loss
• Heartburn or refluxing of food.

Causes

The causes of dysphagia may include the following:

• Stroke or nerve diseases Neurological accidents Stroke or nerve disease
• Achalasia or esophageal spasms.
• Narrowing or strictures of the esophagus or throat tumor Tumors.
• Infection, inflammation or swelling of the passages of swallowing.
• Side effects of some drugs that theories about muscle control.

Therapy to Dysphagia in Jersey Village.

Therapy involves individual therapies and medical treatments:

• Swallowing therapy: Swallowing exercises under the direction of a speech-language pathologist aimed at increasing the strength of the throat muscles and enhancing control.
• Dietary changes: Soft, pureed food and thickened liquids depending on your swallowing capacity and your nutritional requirements.
• Drugs: Reflux, relax muscular, or prokinetic drugs to treat reflux, relax esophageal muscles, and decrease muscular spasms.
• Endoscopy: Balloon dilation or stenting of strictures to enlarge them and easily permit food to pass through them.
• Surgery: Heller pyloriotomy of achalasia or fundoplication of severe reflux in the case that less invasive methods are ineffective.
• Positioning interventions: Techniques that include chin-tuck, head turn or sit up during meal allowing the patient to take only minimal risk of aspiration.