{"id":1446,"date":"2025-11-17T10:56:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/?p=1446"},"modified":"2025-11-17T10:56:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:56:22","slug":"difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/","title":{"rendered":"Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">\u0130ndex<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#What_Is_Difficulty_Swallowing\" >What Is Difficulty Swallowing?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#Changes_Seen_with_Age\" >Changes Seen with Age<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#Other_Causes_of_Difficulty_Swallowing\" >Other Causes of Difficulty Swallowing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#When_Should_You_See_a_Doctor\" >When Should You See a Doctor?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#Diagnosis_and_Treatment_Approach\" >Diagnosis and Treatment Approach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia\/#Information_from_Prof_Dr_Gediz_Murat_Serin\" >Information from Prof. Dr. Gediz Murat Serin<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Difficulty_Swallowing\"><\/span>What Is Difficulty Swallowing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Swallowing is a process that occurs through the coordinated work of the tongue, throat, larynx, and esophagus. This system slows down with age, muscle strength decreases, and reflexes weaken. As a result, some individuals develop <strong>difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Difficulty in the passage of food or liquids from the mouth to the stomach can manifest itself with symptoms such as <strong>sensation of being stuck in the throat<\/strong>, <strong>inability to swallow pills<\/strong>, or <strong>coughing while swallowing<\/strong>. This condition both reduces quality of life and can lead to consequences such as weight loss or lung infection.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Changes_Seen_with_Age\"><\/span>Changes Seen with Age<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As age progresses, the following changes may occur in the swallowing mechanism:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Weakness in tongue and pharyngeal muscles<\/li>\n<li>Relaxation of laryngeal muscles and volume loss in vocal cords<\/li>\n<li>Decrease in saliva production and dry mouth<\/li>\n<li>Slowing of the swallowing reflex<\/li>\n<li>Decrease in throat sensitivity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These changes prolong the swallowing time and can particularly make the passage of solid foods difficult. However, although this picture is seen as &#8220;normal aging,&#8221; it can sometimes be the first sign of another underlying condition.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Causes_of_Difficulty_Swallowing\"><\/span>Other Causes of Difficulty Swallowing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many factors besides age can cause dysphagia. The most common among these are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.Nervous System Diseases<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson&#8217;s disease, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Multiple Sclerosis affect the nerves that control swallowing muscles, increasing the risk of aspiration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.Muscle Diseases<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Muscle diseases such as Myasthenia Gravis or Muscular Dystrophy lead to the inability of muscles involved in swallowing to contract with sufficient force.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.Mechanical or Structural Obstacles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tumors in the neck region, thyroid enlargement or nodules, esophageal strictures due to reflux, or tissue hardening after radiotherapy can physically make swallowing difficult.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.Infections and Inflammations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Throat infections, aphthae, or fungal lesions can make swallowing painful and difficult; although usually temporary, evaluation is needed in recurring cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.Psychological Factors<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Functional conditions such as stress, anxiety, and &#8220;lump in throat sensation&#8221; (globus sensation) can create swallowing difficulty without physical obstruction.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Should_You_See_a_Doctor\"><\/span>When Should You See a Doctor?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If any of the following conditions exist, you need to be evaluated by an <strong>Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Food or pills getting stuck in the throat<\/li>\n<li>Coughing or choking sensation while drinking water<\/li>\n<li>Pain or burning during swallowing<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss, decrease in food intake<\/li>\n<li>Recurrent pneumonia or lung infections<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These findings may indicate <strong>a swallowing disorder that needs to be treated<\/strong>, beyond age-related changes.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diagnosis_and_Treatment_Approach\"><\/span>Diagnosis and Treatment Approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the evaluation of difficulty swallowing, <strong>endoscopic swallowing examination<\/strong>, <strong>video-fluoroscopic swallowing test<\/strong>, or <strong>esophageal passage examination<\/strong> can be performed.<br \/>\nTreatment varies depending on the source of the problem:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Swallowing exercises and physiotherapy<\/li>\n<li>Diet modification and liquid-solid balance<\/li>\n<li>Oral hygiene and saliva-increasing recommendations<\/li>\n<li>Medication treatment or reflux control<\/li>\n<li>Speech-swallowing therapy in necessary cases<\/li>\n<li>Elimination of causes that can be corrected surgically<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The goal is to regain safe and comfortable swallowing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Information_from_Prof_Dr_Gediz_Murat_Serin\"><\/span>Information from Prof. Dr. Gediz Murat Serin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Although some changes are natural with age, difficulty swallowing should never be considered &#8216;normal.&#8217;<br \/>\nWith early examination and simple tests, it is possible to both preserve quality of life and detect serious diseases early.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Is Difficulty Swallowing? Swallowing is a process that occurs through the coordinated work of the tongue, throat, larynx, and esophagus. This system slows down with age, muscle strength decreases, and reflexes weaken. As a result, some individuals develop difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). Difficulty in the passage of food or liquids from the mouth to the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ent-diseases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1446"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1448,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1446\/revisions\/1448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gedizserin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}