Difficulty in Swallowing :
Difficulty in swallowing, also known as dysphagia, occurs when the nerves and muscles that assist in swallowing are disturbed. Difficulty in swallowing is classified into various types such as oral dysphagia, esophageal dysphagia and oropharyngeal dysphagia. The causative factors of difficulty in swallowing include medical conditions such as nervous and muscle disorders, including brain tumours, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, cricopharyngeal spasms, dementia, multiple sclerosis, parkinson's disease, esophageal spasms, achalasia, muscular dystrophy, myositis, myasthenia gravis and scleroderma. The gut issues that contribute to this condition include eosinophilic esophagitis, esophageal cancer, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal webs and schatzki rings, infections like strep throat and acid reflux disease. The management of difficulty in swallowing involves using medications, taking medical therapy, making lifestyle changes and using a feeding tube if advised by a doctor. Difficulty in swallowing, if left untreated, may lead to malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, choking and silent aspiration.












