How do I know if I have dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)?

Patients may experience dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, in different ways. These include:

Sensation that food gets stuck or held up in the throat or chest during the attempted swallow

Discomfort or pain in the throat or chest as the food is swallowed

Sensation that food or drink is slow or hindered passing down the throat and/or chest

Need to chew very carefully, eat very slowly, or sip on water to ‘flush’ the food down

Need to repetitively swallow to get food past the throat

Inability or difficulty in initiating the swallow after food has been chewed in the mouth

Sensation that food or drink ‘goes down the wrong way’ when swallowing, sometimes making the patient cough

Swallowed food coming back out the nose

All of the above symptoms are always abnormal, and indicate a problem with the swallowing mechanism. As such if any of these symptoms are present they warrant evaluation by a gastroenterologist who specialises in swallowing disorders.