The term "dysphagia" refers to difficulty in swallowing. The inability to swallow may manifest in several different ways, ranging from occasional problems with swallowing, especially when you don't thoroughly chew your food, or when you try to eat too quickly, to extreme cases which can make it nearly impossible to swallow foods or even liquids. The use of a swallow study for dysphagia is a method for accurate diagnosis of the condition. Determining the extent of the problem and its precise location is necessary before a course of treatment can be implemented.
In most instances, the problems with swallowing will not require medical intervention. If the problem worsens, which can happen as the patient ages, action will be required. Inability to swallow can create problems with nutrition.
The symptoms of dysphagia might be occasional problems with swallowing a large piece of food. It could be significant pain related to each swallow. Some patients experience a sensation of feeling as if food is stuck in the esophagus. Others not only feel the obstruction, but actually have a narrowing of the esophageal tube so that food actually can get stuck.
There are multiple different causes for dysphagia. They include achalasia, diffuse spasm, esophageal stricture or tumors. Foreign bodies or narrowing of the esophageal ring cause difficulty swallowing solid food. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)is a common problem which causes increasing scarring and damage to the esophagus, due to the action of stomach acid. Eosinophilic esophagitis, scleroderma, and radiation therapy can each cause problems in the ability to swallow, or to move food into the stomach.
Several conditions are grouped as oropharyngeal dysphagia. The individual with these issues may experience choking, coughing or gagging on food when swallowing is attempted. In some instances, it feels as if liquids or foods have gone down the trachea. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or muscular dystrophy are neurological disorders which cause the symptoms. They can also arise from a brain or spinal cord injury or from a stroke. A pouch can form and food is trapped there in a condition called pharyngeal diverticula.
Diagnostic studies include inserting an endoscope (a small lighted tube) into the throat and using fiber-optics to visually examine the throat. Measuring the muscle pressure in the throat requires a manometry procedure.
Imaging studies include a barium X-ray, which involves drinking a barium solution or swallowing a pill coated with barium A CT scan combines multiple x-rays to produce cross sectional pictures of the bones and soft tissues in the throat. An MRI scan utilizes magnetic and radio waves. A PET scan (positron emission tomography) utilizes a radioactive tracer to determine the functionality of organs and tissues.
Checking the swallowing begins with ingesting various types of foods, each coated with barium. The path of the foods is captured in images from the mouth to the stomach. The movement of the muscles is identified, so that areas where there are problems are identified. When food is mistakenly channeled into the trachea the images show the path. This process is a real-time picture of how the muscles work to move food down the passageway to the stomach.
In most instances, the problems with swallowing will not require medical intervention. If the problem worsens, which can happen as the patient ages, action will be required. Inability to swallow can create problems with nutrition.
The symptoms of dysphagia might be occasional problems with swallowing a large piece of food. It could be significant pain related to each swallow. Some patients experience a sensation of feeling as if food is stuck in the esophagus. Others not only feel the obstruction, but actually have a narrowing of the esophageal tube so that food actually can get stuck.
There are multiple different causes for dysphagia. They include achalasia, diffuse spasm, esophageal stricture or tumors. Foreign bodies or narrowing of the esophageal ring cause difficulty swallowing solid food. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)is a common problem which causes increasing scarring and damage to the esophagus, due to the action of stomach acid. Eosinophilic esophagitis, scleroderma, and radiation therapy can each cause problems in the ability to swallow, or to move food into the stomach.
Several conditions are grouped as oropharyngeal dysphagia. The individual with these issues may experience choking, coughing or gagging on food when swallowing is attempted. In some instances, it feels as if liquids or foods have gone down the trachea. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or muscular dystrophy are neurological disorders which cause the symptoms. They can also arise from a brain or spinal cord injury or from a stroke. A pouch can form and food is trapped there in a condition called pharyngeal diverticula.
Diagnostic studies include inserting an endoscope (a small lighted tube) into the throat and using fiber-optics to visually examine the throat. Measuring the muscle pressure in the throat requires a manometry procedure.
Imaging studies include a barium X-ray, which involves drinking a barium solution or swallowing a pill coated with barium A CT scan combines multiple x-rays to produce cross sectional pictures of the bones and soft tissues in the throat. An MRI scan utilizes magnetic and radio waves. A PET scan (positron emission tomography) utilizes a radioactive tracer to determine the functionality of organs and tissues.
Checking the swallowing begins with ingesting various types of foods, each coated with barium. The path of the foods is captured in images from the mouth to the stomach. The movement of the muscles is identified, so that areas where there are problems are identified. When food is mistakenly channeled into the trachea the images show the path. This process is a real-time picture of how the muscles work to move food down the passageway to the stomach.
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