Re: Throat and Swallowing

Posted By HFHSM.D.-rf on April 30, 1998 at 07:58:29:

In Reply to: Throat and Swallowing posted by Lynn on April 29, 1998 at 09:01:46:






I seem to have alot of difficulty swallowing. Dry or sticky foods get stuck, I need liquid to force them to move downward. After that I suffer from PAINFUL hiccups. I also suffer from muscle pain and stiffness, fatique and acid reflux and heartburn, Dizziness and Vision problems. Numbness and tingling in all  extremities as well as face and neck.   At the moment on 20mg of Prilosec a day. It does help, but by the end of many days I am also still using tums.  Can you offer any sugesstions.
Thanks in advance, Lynn
  ___


Dear Lynn,
Difficulty swallowing can be due to food sticking (called dysphagia) and pain with swallowing ( called odynophagia).  You do not provide details regarding your age and concomitant illnesses, information that may facilitate the workup of your problem.  Sometimes people will complain of difficulty swallowing if there is a sore tongue, ill-fitting dentures, oral infection or reduced production of saliva.  Your need to drink liquids raises the possibility of low saliva secretion.  If you also have symptoms of dry eyes, this possibility is more likely.  
There are other causes of dysphagia in addition to those of the mouth.  Inflammation of the thyroid gland can present with a sore throat and dysphagia.  The symptoms of acid reflux and dysphagia may indicate that you have inflammation of the esophagus with an alteration of normal motor function of this organ.  Frequently, this problem will resolve with treatment of the reflux (the Prilosec medication that you take).  A second option related to reflux is the possibility that you have a narrowing of the esophagus due to acid-induced damage.  This problem is also not too serious and is easily corrected with Prilosec and possibly endoscopic dilation.  
The dizziness, vision problems and muscle pains may indicate that the problem is not primary to the esophagus, but rather is a problem of neural innervation of these organs.
I suggest that you be evaluated by your primary physician who will obtain additional information regarding your symptoms.  Based on this data, a logical organized plan for investigation can be developed.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation.  Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
If you would like to be seen at our institution, please call 1-800-653-6568, our Referring Physicians' Office, and make an appointment to see Dr. Fogel, one of our experts in the evaluation of swallowing disorders.  If he believes that the primary problem is not gastrointestinal, he can arrange same day evaluation with the appropriate specialist.  He also has access to state of the art motility and radiologic investigations that can characterize the cause of your problems.
Best of luck.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: dysphagia, reflux
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