Dysphagia is difficultly with swallowing food or liquids. Dysphagia can either be difficulty getting the food/liquids into the esophagus (called oropharyngeal dysphagia), or difficulty getting the food through the esophagus (esophageal dysphagia). It sounds like she might suffer from oropharyngeal dysphagia. There are also different types based on difficult with swallowing liquids vs food. Liquid dysphagia is more concerning for motility disorder, whereas dysphagia is solids if more likely a mechanical obstruction. Regurgitation, aspiration, or drooling immediately after swallowing may represent oropharyngeal dysphagia. Dysphagia is a common cause for chest pain. This could be a hereditary and/or congenital malformations in motility of the esophagus. However, second hand smoke or smoking, alcohol, obesity, acid reflux, COPD, multiple different medications, neurologic disease, any type of chest or esophageal mass, and iron deficiency can all cause dysphagia. Progressively worsening dysphagia is usually caused by cancer or a peptic stricture. Unfortunately, dysphagia is a very common symptom with multiple causes. The most concerning would be cancer/tumors, pharyngeal abscess, or other types of infections. There are about 25 different neurologic diseases that can cause dysphagia. Barium swallow is generally one of the first test to help confirm the diagnosis. If symptoms continue however, she will eventually need further work up - such as endoscopy or MRI. You can try to give her a soft diet such as blended foods, and take an anti-acid medication like tums, maalox, omesprazole, or pantoprazole. However, make sure you watch her when she is swallowing pills because if there is difficulty with food, there will be difficulty with pills. There is unfortunately not many treatment options until a definitive cause of the dysphagia is determined.