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Swallowing difficulty

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Dysphagia; Impaired swallowing

Home Care:

Eat slowly, and chew food thoroughly. If a person suddenly shows signs of choking and difficulty breathing, the Heimlich maneuver should be performed immediately.

You may have an easier time swallowing liquids or pureed foods than solids. Avoid very cold or very hot foods if you notice that they worsen the problem.

Call your health care provider if:

Call your provider if the problem continues, even if the symptoms are intermittent.

Tell your doctor about any other symptoms, such as cough, wheezing, fever, chills, abdominal pain, pain with swallowing, nausea or vomiting, vomiting of blood, weight loss, heartburn, or sour taste in the mouth.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

Your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask medical history questions about your swallowing difficulty, such as:

• Is there difficulty with solids, liquids, or both?
• Is the difficulty constant or does it come and go?
• Is the difficulty getting worse?
• Does it hurt to swallow?
• What other symptoms are present?
• What other medical problems do you have?
• What medications do you take?

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

• A swallowing study using barium
• Chest x-ray
• Endoscopy (EGD)
• Esophageal acidity test, also called a pH probe (checks for acid that comes from the stomach and enters the esophagus, as in gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Esophageal manometry (pressure measurements)

• Review Date: 1/23/2006
• Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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