What is dysphagia?
The feeling of “choking” in the throat or heart fossa when eating, as if there is always something blocking, is dysphagia. Patients with esophageal cancer can have dysphagia; some patients with diseases outside the digestive system can also have dysphagia, such as post-stroke patients.
Some people, especially some middle-aged women, often have difficulty swallowing or a sensation of foreign body when swallowing. This kind of dysphagia does not affect eating and is related to mood, aggravated by depression and reduced or even disappeared when the mood is happy. People with this so-called dysphagia do not have organic pathology, so this “dysphagia” is called pseudo dysphagia, also known as hysterical ball, or plum pneumonia. It should be reminded that even if you suspect that you have pseudo dysphagia, you should go to a doctor.
What kind of swallowing difficulty must I see a doctor?
When swallowing food, you can feel more clearly the area where the food is difficult to pass.
Dry food is more difficult to swallow than thin food.
Pain at the back of the sternum (from the throat to the fossa of the heart) when swallowing.
Dysphagia is accompanied by hoarseness of speech.
Difficulty swallowing with breathlessness or coughing.
Sudden onset of dysphagia in children.
What should I tell my doctor if I have difficulty swallowing?
You should go to the hospital promptly if you have difficulty swallowing. When you go to the doctor, you need to describe the difficulty in swallowing clearly to the doctor so that he or she can make a correct diagnosis as soon as possible.
Here are some questions to help you tell your doctor about your dysphagia.
Can I swallow at will?
When did the dysphagia start?
Is the swallowing difficulty getting progressively worse or does it come and go?
Is it more difficult to swallow dry food than thin food?
Can you clearly feel where the food is difficult to pass?
Is there any pain when swallowing?
Do you ever have heartburn?
Is the difficulty in swallowing accompanied by hoarseness?
Is there any breathlessness or coughing associated with dysphagia?
Common GI tests.
Stool routine and culture, gastrointestinal barium contrast, endoscopy.