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.
When the problems are minor, they might not need to have intervention by a medical professional. However, even minor problems can worsen with age, so that it will eventually require treatment. The level of treatment will depend upon the severity and nature of the swallowing problem.
Symptoms of dysphagia range from occasional difficulty swallowing a large morsel of food to actual pain related to swallowing. Some patients complain of the feeling of having food stuck in the throat. Others may actually experience enough constriction in the throat that food is unable to move downward into the stomach. Some people experience acidic backup into the throat. It may be necessary to cut foods into smaller chunks for ease of moving food down the esophageal tube.
Dysphagia can be cause by any of several different conditions. Structures or partial blockage of the esophagus, achalasia and spasms, or a narrowing of the esophageal ring creates issues with swallowing. Many people suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD. In this condition, the esophagus becomes scarred due to the leakage of stomach acid into the esophagus. Radiation therapy, eosinophilic esophagitis and scleroderma are other common causes.
Other conditions are listed under the general heading of oropharyngeal dysphagia. These factors may cause choking, gagging or coughing when swallowing. Some people complain of the feeling of foods or liquids going down the trachea. This may be caused by certain neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis. Neurological damage such as a spinal cord or brain injury, or from a stroke may affect the ability to swallow. Pharyngeal diverticula is a condition where a small pouch forms and holds food particles in the throat.
When the health care professional is looking for information about the specific patient's condition, there are various means of diagnosis. An endoscope is a flexible lighted tube which is inserted down into the esophagus. The procedure is called a fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation (FEES). The doctor can visually examine the esophagus. Measurement of the muscle pressure is done with a procedure called manometry.
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.
The dynamic study for dysphagia requires the patient to swallow various consistencies of food, each coated with barium. The barium allows for tracking the functionality of the muscles and structure of the throat. The images track the path of the food as it travels down the throat. This set of images will allow the doctor to determine where the problems or weaknesses are located.
When the problems are minor, they might not need to have intervention by a medical professional. However, even minor problems can worsen with age, so that it will eventually require treatment. The level of treatment will depend upon the severity and nature of the swallowing problem.
Symptoms of dysphagia range from occasional difficulty swallowing a large morsel of food to actual pain related to swallowing. Some patients complain of the feeling of having food stuck in the throat. Others may actually experience enough constriction in the throat that food is unable to move downward into the stomach. Some people experience acidic backup into the throat. It may be necessary to cut foods into smaller chunks for ease of moving food down the esophageal tube.
Dysphagia can be cause by any of several different conditions. Structures or partial blockage of the esophagus, achalasia and spasms, or a narrowing of the esophageal ring creates issues with swallowing. Many people suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD. In this condition, the esophagus becomes scarred due to the leakage of stomach acid into the esophagus. Radiation therapy, eosinophilic esophagitis and scleroderma are other common causes.
Other conditions are listed under the general heading of oropharyngeal dysphagia. These factors may cause choking, gagging or coughing when swallowing. Some people complain of the feeling of foods or liquids going down the trachea. This may be caused by certain neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis. Neurological damage such as a spinal cord or brain injury, or from a stroke may affect the ability to swallow. Pharyngeal diverticula is a condition where a small pouch forms and holds food particles in the throat.
When the health care professional is looking for information about the specific patient's condition, there are various means of diagnosis. An endoscope is a flexible lighted tube which is inserted down into the esophagus. The procedure is called a fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation (FEES). The doctor can visually examine the esophagus. Measurement of the muscle pressure is done with a procedure called manometry.
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.
The dynamic study for dysphagia requires the patient to swallow various consistencies of food, each coated with barium. The barium allows for tracking the functionality of the muscles and structure of the throat. The images track the path of the food as it travels down the throat. This set of images will allow the doctor to determine where the problems or weaknesses are located.
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