Finding a specific dysphagia definition is not easy. This general term can be used to describe any type of swallowing difficulty. In medicine, it usually refers to swallowing problems that arise because of a physical health condition rather than a psychological disorder or anxiety.
Types of dysphagia
The symptoms of dysphagia depend on which part of the upper digestive system is experiencing the problems responsible for the swallowing difficulties:
* Oropharyngeal dysphagia occurs when nerve or muscle damage in the mouth or throat interferes with the natural swallowing process.
* Oesophageal dysphagia occurs in people with problems in the oesophagus itself. They can swallow food but it then becomes 'stuck' and cannot pass easily into the stomach.
The main causes of dysphagia
This is a brief list of the most common conditions that cause dysphagia:
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Brain injury
- A brain tumour
- Cerebral palsy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Muscular dystrophy
- A damaged oesophagus (e.g. by the acid reflux that occurs in GERD)
Dysphagia in the elderly is more likely because of several underlying health conditions.
A glossary of terms
This glossary lists common dysphagia terms, each with a brief explanation. A patient with dysphagia who is looking for information on medical websites should be aware of the spelling differences between UK English and US English (oesophagus/esophagus etc.). It is also important to search using the correct spelling - for example, a search for pharyngeal dysphagia will search out more useful sources than using pharangeal dysphagia as a search term. A good tip is that if a website spells a medical term incorrectly, the advice is probably not worth reading.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia or pharyngeal dysphagia - Caused by problems with the muscles or nerves in the mouth, pharynx and the sphincter at the top of the oesophagus. Symptoms include difficulty managing food or saliva in the mouth, frequent choking and coughing and a tendency to develop pneumonia.
Oesophageal dysphagia or esophageal dysphagia - Caused by problems that affect the main part of the oesophagus, the sphincter at the bottom of the oesophagus and the muscles at the top of the stomach. Food gets 'stuck' once it has been swallowed, leading to chronic heartburn, discomfort and vomiting.
Neurogenic dysphagia - Dysphagia after stroke, or due to other conditions that cause nerve damage such as myasthenia gravis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Pediatric dysphagia - Dysphagia in children. May be psychological or caused by neurological problems.
Dysphagia dysarthria - An inability to speak because of neurological damage that occurs in a patient with swallowing difficulties. Usually associated with dysphagia and stroke but also common in people with Parkinson's disease.
Dysphagia lusoria - A rare condition caused by a congenital abnormality of the subclavian artery. In those affected, the artery lies behind the oesophagus and interferes with the nerves that supply the pharynx.
Author Resource:-
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