Swallowing difficulty

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Throat anatomy

Difficulty with swallowing is the sensation that food is stuck in the throat, or from the neck down to just above the abdomen behind the breastbone (sternum).

Dysphagia; Impaired swallowing

Swallowing is a complex act that involves the mouth, throat area, and esophagus (the muscular tube that moves food to the stomach). Many nerves and muscles control how these body parts work. Part of the act of swallowing is under voluntary control, which means you are aware of controlling the action. However, much of swallowing is involuntary.

Problems at any point -- from chewing food and moving it into the back of the mouth to transporting food down the esophagus into the stomach -- can result in difficulty swallowing.

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Chest pain, the feeling of food stuck in the throat, or heaviness or pressure in the neck or upper or lower chest when eating are frequently the result of swallowing difficulties.

There are many different causes of swallowing difficulty, including:

• A blockage due to:
  • Cervical spine disease
  • Emotional or anxiety disorder
  • Esophageal webs
  • Narrowings (strictures) due to radiation, chemicals, medications, chronic inflammation, or ulcers
  • Schatzki's ring
  • Tumors
  • Zenker's diverticulum
• Nerve and muscle problems such as:
  • Achalasia
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)
  • Esophageal spasm
  • Infections such as syphilis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Nutcracker esophagus
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Polymyositis
  • Scleroderma
  • Stroke

Review Date: 10/20/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).