Difficulty with swallowing is medically known as dysphagia. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as being unable to chew food properly, uncontrollable drooling, a sensation of food being stuck in your chest or throat, choking or coughing while eating or drinking, or a gurgling sound when you are speaking, it’s important to get checked out by your doctor. Dysphagia may be a symptom of another condition such as gastroesophageal reflux disease. It may occur occasionally or frequently depending on the severity of your condition and any treatment you are receiving.
Lifestyle Changes
Making certain lifestyle changes can help to make eating and swallowing more comfortable. You might want to try products such as SimplyThick along with eliminating alcohol and nicotine from your life, since alcohol and smoking can irritate your esophagus and increase the risk of heartburn. Instead of eating three meals per day, you might benefit from eating more frequent small meals instead. Some people find that swallowing is easier when they cut their foods into small pieces first, and avoid sticky foods like peanut butter.
Medication
Medication is often one of the first treatments given for dysphagia related to acid reflux. Most of the time, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are given to reduce stomach acid levels and reduce GERD symptoms. They are usually taken once per day. Sometimes, they can be taken alongside other medications for GERD such as H2 blockers to reduce symptoms. Common PPI medications that you may be prescribed to deal with this condition include rabeprazole, omeprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, and lansoprazole.
Surgery
In some cases, surgery might be a necessary treatment for patients that have reflux so severe it does not respond to lifestyle changes or medication. There are various surgical procedures that can be used to treat GERD and other conditions that can lead to episodes of dysphagia, to reduce or eliminate these symptoms. These include endoscopic procedures, esophageal dilation, fundoplication, or partial removal of the esophagus. Esophageal dilation is a common procedure for dysphagia. It involves a tiny balloon that is attached to an endoscope, stretching the esophagus to treat any strictures.
Long-Term Outlook for Dysphagia
While experiencing dysphagia can be frightening and may even lead to further symptoms, it is not always a chronic condition. The sooner you let your doctor know about any difficulty swallowing that you are experiencing, the easier it will be for you to get treatment for the dysphagia and any underlying health conditions that may have led to it. Difficulties swallowing that are a result of conditions such as GERD can often be easily treated with prescription medications that reduce levels of stomach acid, along with lifestyle changes that you can make.
Difficulty swallowing can be caused by a number of factors. It is commonly a result of GERD. While it can be a difficult experience to go through, dysphagia does not need to be a condition that you deal with forever. Lifestyle changes, medication, and even surgery can be used to treat this condition and allow you to get back to your normal life.
