Dysphagia
Dysphagia is difficulty moving food, liquid, or saliva from the mouth to the stomach. It can impair swallowing safety, swallowing efficiency, or both.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia: Difficulty initiating a swallow or moving food through the mouth and throat. This form can cause coughing, choking, or food entering the airway during swallowing.
Videofluoroscopic swallow study: A moving X-ray examination that records swallowing with contrast-containing foods and liquids. It shows bolus movement, airway entry, and the effects of different swallowing strategies.
Aspiration: Entry of food, liquid, saliva, or other material into the airway below the vocal folds. Dysphagia can allow swallowed material to enter the respiratory tract.
Stroke: Sudden neurological injury caused by interrupted blood flow to the brain or bleeding within it. Brain injury can disrupt the coordination and sensation required for safe swallowing.
Esophageal dysphagia: Difficulty moving swallowed material through the esophagus to the stomach. This form often feels like food sticking in the chest after a swallow.
Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing: An examination using a flexible endoscope to observe the throat before and after swallowing. It directly assesses secretions, residue, and airway protection without radiographic imaging.
Aspiration pneumonia: A lung infection associated with inhalation of material containing pathogenic organisms. Aspiration in a person with impaired swallowing can contribute to this complication.
Parkinson's disease: A progressive neurological disorder marked by movement symptoms associated with loss of dopamine-producing neurons. Its motor and sensory changes can impair swallowing coordination.
Swallowing reflex: A coordinated neural response that moves material from the mouth through the pharynx while protecting the airway. Disruption of its timing or coordination can make swallowing unsafe.
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: An endoscopic procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine. It can identify structural narrowing, inflammation, or tumors causing esophageal symptoms.