Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia) in Surat What to Expect
Dysphagia means food or liquid does not pass easily from the mouth to the stomach. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and it always deserves a proper assessment.
What Is Dysphagia?
Swallowing is a coordinated movement of the throat and the food pipe (oesophagus). When any part of that pathway is narrowed, inflamed or not moving properly, food may feel stuck, take longer to go down, or come back up. Some people cough or choke while eating; others simply notice they have started avoiding bread, meat or dry foods.
Dysphagia that is new, getting worse, or accompanied by weight loss should not be watched and waited on. Most causes are treatable, but a few are serious, and the tests that tell them apart are quick and widely available at our hospital.
If you have started to notice food going down slowly or catching in your chest, you are not alone - swallowing problems are a common reason people see a gastroenterologist, and they become more common with age. Many people put up with it for months, changing what they eat without realising how much they have adapted.
The first visit is about understanding where the problem is. Food sticking in the throat straight after swallowing points to the swallowing muscles; food that sticks lower down, behind the breastbone, points to the food pipe itself. Telling the doctor exactly where you feel it, whether solids or liquids are harder, and whether it is getting worse helps choose the right test first.
Symptoms of Dysphagia
Swallowing problems can be obvious, or they can creep up slowly. You may notice any of these:
- A feeling of food sticking in the throat or chest
- Needing to swallow several times, or to drink water to push food down
- Coughing, choking or a wet voice after eating or drinking
- Regurgitation of undigested food, sometimes hours after a meal
- Heartburn or chest discomfort after meals
- Unintended weight loss or avoiding certain foods
- Taking much longer to finish a meal, or leaving food on the plate
- Pain when swallowing
- Waking at night coughing, or with food or acid in the mouth
Symptoms vary from person to person. Having one or more of these does not confirm the condition - it means it is worth being checked.
When Should You See a Doctor Urgently for Dysphagia?
Do not wait for an online appointment if you have any of the following. Call the hospital or go to the nearest emergency department.
- Complete inability to swallow, including saliva
- Food that is stuck and will not pass
- Swallowing difficulty with black stools, vomiting blood or rapid weight loss
- Choking episodes or chest infections related to eating
How We Diagnose Swallowing Problems
At your first visit the doctor asks where food sticks, whether solids or liquids are harder, and how long it has been happening, and examines you. Most people then need one or two tests; the doctor chooses the order based on your symptoms.
What Causes Difficulty Swallowing?
- Acid reflux causing inflammation or a narrowing (stricture) of the food pipe
- Achalasia and other motility disorders, where the muscle of the food pipe does not relax or move properly
- Eosinophilic oesophagitis, an allergic-type inflammation
- A growth or tumour in the food pipe or at the junction with the stomach
- Neurological conditions affecting the swallowing muscles, such as after a stroke
- A pouch (diverticulum) or a ring in the food pipe
In practice, the most common causes are a narrowing from long-standing reflux and problems with how the food pipe muscle moves, such as achalasia. Tumours are less common, but they are the reason new or worsening swallowing difficulty is always checked rather than ignored. When the problem is in the throat rather than the food pipe, a neurological cause such as a past stroke is more likely.
Investigations
- Upper GI endoscopy
- A thin flexible camera examines the food pipe and stomach directly. Narrowings can be dilated and tissue samples taken in the same sitting.What to expect: You are given sedation, so most people feel little or nothing. The test itself takes a short time, and you go home the same day once the sedation has worn off.
- Barium swallow
- An X-ray study taken while you swallow a contrast liquid, showing the shape and movement of the food pipe.What to expect: You stand in front of an X-ray machine and drink a chalky liquid while pictures are taken. It is painless and needs no sedation.
- Oesophageal manometry
- A motility test that measures the pressure and coordination of the food pipe muscle - the key test for achalasia and other movement disorders. Available in our GI motility lab.What to expect: A thin tube is passed through the nose after a numbing gel, and you take small sips of water while pressures are recorded. It is briefly uncomfortable but not painful, and no sedation is used.
- pH study
- Measures acid exposure in the food pipe when reflux is suspected as the cause.What to expect: A fine tube through the nose records acid for 24 hours while you eat and go about your day, then it is removed.
Treatment Options for Dysphagia
The usual path
- Find the cause first.
Treatment depends on what the tests show, so the first step is usually an endoscopy, and sometimes manometry.
- Medicines and diet.
If reflux has inflamed or narrowed the food pipe, acid-suppressing medicines and simple eating changes often bring real relief.
- A procedure without an incision.
A narrowing can be stretched during endoscopy, and achalasia can be treated with POEM. Both are done through the mouth, without a skin cut.
- Surgery when it is the right choice.
An operation is discussed for a tumour, or when endoscopic treatment is not suitable. Your surgeon explains the options and what recovery involves before anything is decided.
Medicines & lifestyle
- Treating the cause
- Acid suppression for reflux-related narrowing, dietary changes and medicines for eosinophilic oesophagitis, and swallowing therapy for neurological causes.
Endoscopic treatment
- Endoscopic dilatation
- A stricture or ring can often be stretched during endoscopy, giving relief without an operation.
- POEM for achalasia
- Per-oral endoscopic myotomy loosens the tight muscle at the lower end of the food pipe from the inside, without any skin incision. Our department performs POEM.
Surgery
- Surgery
- Reserved for tumours and for selected cases where endoscopic treatment is not suitable, and discussed with you in detail beforehand.
The right treatment depends on the cause, how severe it is and your overall health. Your doctor will discuss the options with you before anything is decided.
Frequently Asked Questions about Difficulty Swallowing
Is difficulty swallowing always serious?
No. Reflux and motility problems are common and treatable. But because a few causes are serious, new or worsening dysphagia should always be assessed rather than managed with softer food alone.
Will I need an endoscopy?
Usually yes. It is the most direct way to see the food pipe, and it is done under sedation so that it is comfortable.
What is the motility lab?
A set of tests (manometry and pH study) that measure how the food pipe moves and how much acid it is exposed to. Our gastroenterologist with special interest in GI motility interprets them.
What should I eat while I am waiting for my swallowing tests?
Until the cause is known, choose soft, moist foods, cut them small, chew well and sit upright while eating and for a while afterwards. Take small sips of water between mouthfuls and avoid dry bread, tough meat and eating in a hurry. If you cannot keep fluids down or lose weight quickly, do not wait for the appointment - come to the hospital.
How long does the relief from endoscopic dilatation last?
It depends on the cause. A ring or a reflux-related stricture often stays open for a long time once the acid is controlled with medicines, but some narrowings tighten again and need a repeat stretch. For achalasia, dilatation gives temporary relief and POEM or surgery gives a more lasting result. Your doctor will explain what to expect for your particular narrowing.
Which doctor should I see for difficulty swallowing?
A gastroenterologist. You can book a consultation at our Adajan hospital or at the OPD nearest you; any tests are done at Adajan.
Can acidity cause difficulty swallowing?
Yes. Long-standing reflux can inflame the food pipe or cause a narrowing (stricture). Controlling the acid, and stretching a narrowing during endoscopy if needed, usually brings relief.
Is POEM done at your hospital?
Yes. POEM for achalasia is performed at our Adajan hospital by our medical gastroenterologist, after manometry has confirmed the diagnosis.
Why Choose Gujarat Hospital for Dysphagia Care
How we look after difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) at our main hospital in Adajan, Surat:
- The tests that find the cause, in one hospital. Upper GI endoscopy in the endoscopy suite, and oesophageal manometry and pH study in the GI motility lab.
- Motility results read by a specialist. Our consultant gastroenterologist with special interest in GI motility and functional disorders interprets the tests and plans treatment.
- Treatment without an incision where possible. Narrowings can be dilated during endoscopy, and POEM for achalasia is performed here.
- Surgeons on the same campus. Tumours and cases that need an operation go to our GI and foregut surgeon without a separate referral.
The information on this page is for general patient education and does not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical Disclaimer