Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, often is caused by a problem in the throat or esophagus. This disorder is most common in premature babies, older adults and people with conditions that effect their nervous system.

Difficulty swallowing can occur if you have:

• Something blocking your throat. For example:
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis)
• Thin pieces of tissue sticking out from the walls of the esophagus (esophageal webs)
• Small sacs in the walls of the esophagus (diverticula)
• Esophageal tumors (cancerous or not-cancerous growths)
• Lodged object or food
• Lymph nodes, tumors, or bone spurs on the vertebrae
• Weakening of the esophageal muscles as a result of aging
• Unknown causes
• A brain or spinal cord injury
• Nervous system disorders, such multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease
• A problem which causes swelling or weakness
• Esophageal spasms
• Scleroderma

Symptoms
If you have problems breathing because something is stuck in your throat or chest, call 911 immediately. If you have had difficulty swallowing for more than 1 week, call your doctor. Symptoms of dysphagia can be mild or severe, come and go or get worse over time. They may include:

• Problems swallowing food or liquids on the first try
• Feeling like foods or liquids are stuck in your throat or chest
• Gagging, choking or coughing when you try to swallow
• Experiencing pain in your chest when you swallow
• Losing weight from inadequate amounts of food or liquid
• Having food or liquids come back up through your mouth or nose after you swallow

Diagnosis
Many conditions that affect the working of the throat are minor, but in some cases, the cause of difficulty swallowing is more serious. If you have a hard time swallowing once or twice, it's unlikely you have a medical problem. But if you regularly have trouble swallowing, you may require treatment.

Your doctor will ask you several basic questions, such as:

• How long have you had difficulty swallowing?
• Do you have trouble swallowing solids, liquids or both?
• Where do you think foods or liquids are getting stuck?

Your doctor may perform a physical exam. During a physical exam, it's common to:

• check your head and neck
• watch you take a small sip of water
• test your reflexes, muscle strength and speech

To find the cause of your dysphagia, you may need one or more tests, including:

• X-rays
• Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
• BRAVO pH Monitoring for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)  

Treatment
Your treatment will depend on what is causing your dysphagia. Treatment may include:

• Exercises for your swallowing muscles
• Changes to your diet
• Dilatation to expand any narrow areas of your esophagus
• Endoscopy 
• Surgery for a blockage
• Medicines for conditions such as GERD, heartburn or esophagitis
• Insertion of a feeding tube in cases where inadequate amounts of food and liquids are causing malnourishment