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What Causes Sever Pain While Swallowing?
Question: I occasionally have a rather severe pain when swallowing anything as it goes down towards my stomach. It feels at times like it is blocked and will not go any further. Pain passes less than 30 seconds usually but it still feels somewhat different than normal for a few minutes.
Brief Answer:
Your symptom is called dysphagia sir and I shall list the causes
Detailed Answer:
Hello sir and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. It appears as though there must be some amount of narrowing in your food pipe (esophagus), and the symptom is called dysphagia (simply meaning difficulty in swallowing) this usually occurs due to various conditions like:
+Achalasia: Is the most common cause for dysphagia and is caused due to a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter
+Stricture: Due to obstruction from food, bones, acid reflux, chemical injuries, etc.
+Muscular spasms: Problem with the contractions of the muscles (causing uncordinated spasms)
+Foreign body obstruction
+Tumors
+Conditions like scleroderma
+Effect of radiation therapy
and a few other causes.
It is difficult to asses and diagnose the cause without more investigations like a barium milk swallow (this allows to visualize any narrowing, compression from surrounding structures, etc.) and a CT scan of the chest.
Only once a diagnosis is made can we initiate treatment, as you must have understood from the varying list of causes above. Different causes have different treatment approaches. I hope you find my response both informative and helpful. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Your symptom is called dysphagia sir and I shall list the causes
Detailed Answer:
Hello sir and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. It appears as though there must be some amount of narrowing in your food pipe (esophagus), and the symptom is called dysphagia (simply meaning difficulty in swallowing) this usually occurs due to various conditions like:
+Achalasia: Is the most common cause for dysphagia and is caused due to a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter
+Stricture: Due to obstruction from food, bones, acid reflux, chemical injuries, etc.
+Muscular spasms: Problem with the contractions of the muscles (causing uncordinated spasms)
+Foreign body obstruction
+Tumors
+Conditions like scleroderma
+Effect of radiation therapy
and a few other causes.
It is difficult to asses and diagnose the cause without more investigations like a barium milk swallow (this allows to visualize any narrowing, compression from surrounding structures, etc.) and a CT scan of the chest.
Only once a diagnosis is made can we initiate treatment, as you must have understood from the varying list of causes above. Different causes have different treatment approaches. I hope you find my response both informative and helpful. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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