SWALLOWING, DIFFICULTY IN: DESCRIPTION AND POSSIBLE MEDICAL PROBLEMS
Everyone has found it difficult to swallow during a particularly emotional time, whether it’s your child taking her first steps or graduating from high school. At those moments, you’d probably find yourself unable to swallow even your favorite food. An ordinary sore throat can also make swallowing hard.
However, if you’re having difficulty swallowing and the sensation doesn’t go away, it’s a sign of a serious medical problem, since the act of swallowing is so essential to human health.
If you have difficulty swallowing because of a severe sore throat that hasn’t gone away after a week or so, you may be experiencing the beginning of a serious illness that will be diagnosed by the symptoms that accompany the inability to swallow easily. For instance, symptoms such as weakness in the face, arms, and/or legs along with difficulty swallowing is sometimes the first sign that a person has suffered a stroke. Though disorders and diseases of the esophagus are rare, certain esophageal problems such as heartburn or a hernia are all too common and can make it difficult to swallow normally.
Hyperparathyroidism is a rare condition in which the parathyroid— four small glands in the neck that release parathyroid hormone, which regulates bone growth—produces an excess amount of the hormone. Hyperparathyroidism usually starts when a small growth appears on the parathyroid gland. This growth can then press against your windpipe, making it difficult to swallow. Though hyperparathyroidism usually presents no symptoms, a blood test can show an elevated serum calcium level, which is a sign of the condition.
If you have difficulty swallowing, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I have trouble swallowing liquids, solids, or both?
2. If I do have trouble swallowing solids, is meat one of the most difficult?
3. Do I have heartburn?
4. Am I regurgitating pieces of undigested food?
5. Do I have a sore throat or a fever with swollen glands?
6. If an elderly relative complains of difficulty swallowing, has he or she recently started to take a new medication or changed a medication?
*274\167\8*
