When you swallow, you are chewing food and moving it to the esophagus, a tube that connects to the stomach. Dysphagia, the medical term for difficulty swallowing, is characterized by the sensation of food or liquid getting stuck in the throat or chest. There are numerous factors that can cause swallowing difficulty, most of them fairly benign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Swallowing Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Few of us give much thought to the act of swallowing, but it\u2019s actually a complex process that involves around 50 pairs of muscles and nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are four stages that make up the swallowing process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stage 1: Oral preparation stage.<\/em> <\/strong>Food is chewed to prepare for swallowing. <\/li>
Stage 2: Oral stage.<\/em> The tongue pushes food or liquid to the back of the mouth. <\/li>
Stage 3: Pharyngeal stage.<\/em> <\/strong>Food or liquid passes through the pharynx into the esophagus.<\/li>
Stage 4: Esophageal stage.<\/em> <\/strong>Food or liquid passes through the esophagus and enters the stomach.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What Is Swallowing Disorder (Dysphagia)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing, or the sensation that food is stuck in the throat or chest. It usually indicates an inability of the esophagus to properly move food from the mouth to the stomach. It can affect people of all ages but is most commonly associated with the elderly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Are the Symptoms of Dysphagia? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When we swallow, food or liquid is carried from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach, where it is digested. This is a mostly involuntary process, one that requires little thought. But when something goes wrong, food or liquid can become stuck or lodged in the throat, chest, or sternum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Swallowing becomes painful or difficult, and may be accompanied by choking, coughing, gagging, drooling, regurgitation, or hoarseness. Other symptoms might include chest pain, heartburn, belching, sore throat<\/a>, and weight loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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