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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Difficulty While Swallowing Food?

I am a healthy 62 yr old female in excellent health. In the last three years I have experienced increasing difficulty in swallowing foods and need to supplement with lots of water to flush them down. The problem seems to have gotten worse with time and just recently while eating fried chicken I had a very difficult time. I am changing my food diet to help manage situation. We do travel a lot and don t want to be unprepared in case for some reason the food won t go down. What are the risks and remedies I should be aware of. I understand this not all that uncommon but when it is you it seems like a much bigger issue. Thank you.
Wed, 13 Jul 2016
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi,
Thanks for posting in HCM.
I understand your concern.
Difficulty in swallowing in elderly persons could be due to following reasons:
1. Lesions inside the food pipe (esophagus).
2. Lesions outside the food pipe pressing or compressing it.
3. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction affecting swallowing in esophagus musculature.
It would be advisable to undergo following investigations to find what could be the cause.
1. Upper GI endoscopy.
2. Chest X-ray and CT scan of thorax and upper abdomen.
3. Neurological examination.
Accordingly, the cause needs to be treated. Kindly consult Physician with the reports for evaluation and advise.
Hope the information provided would be helpful.
All the best.
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What Causes Difficulty While Swallowing Food?

Hi, Thanks for posting in HCM. I understand your concern. Difficulty in swallowing in elderly persons could be due to following reasons: 1. Lesions inside the food pipe (esophagus). 2. Lesions outside the food pipe pressing or compressing it. 3. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction affecting swallowing in esophagus musculature. It would be advisable to undergo following investigations to find what could be the cause. 1. Upper GI endoscopy. 2. Chest X-ray and CT scan of thorax and upper abdomen. 3. Neurological examination. Accordingly, the cause needs to be treated. Kindly consult Physician with the reports for evaluation and advise. Hope the information provided would be helpful. All the best.