Swallowing Difficulty

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Swallowing Difficulty: Common Causes

There are many different causes of dysphagia. Your doctor can effectively distinguish between them by a thorough medical history, physical exam, and testing.

Problems related to the upper areas of the mouth and pharynx:

• Obstruction to the passage of food or liquid:
  • Emotional or anxiety disorder (globus hystericus)
  • Tumors
  • Cervical spine disease
  • Zenker's diverticulum
  • Esophageal webs
• Nerve and muscle problems such as:
  • Stroke
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Huntington's disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Infections, such as polio and syphilis
  • Polymyositis

Problems related to the esophagus:

• Obstruction to the passage of food or liquid:
  • Tumors
  • Strictures (narrowings) that may be caused by radiation, chemical ingestions, medications, or ulcers
  • Schatzki's ring
  • Foreign bodies
• Nerve and muscle problems, such as:
  • Achalasia
  • Diffuse esophageal spasm
  • Hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter (the muscle at the end of the esophagus that allows food to pass into the stomach)
  • Nutcracker esophagus
  • Scleroderma