Difficulty swallowing due to dysphagia, can it be cured?

Basically, the problem of difficulty swallowing is not something to worry about if it only happens occasionally. Maybe it's because you eat too fast or don't chew your food properly. However, if it continues and does not heal, you should immediately consult a doctor. In the medical world, the condition of difficulty swallowing is called dysphagia. Can dysphagia go away? How to?

Dysphagia is different from odynophagia, pain when swallowing

Swallowing problems due to dysphagia are not the same as pain when swallowing (odynophagia). A person with dysphagia has difficulty swallowing food and feels as if the food is stuck in the throat. It takes you more effort and longer to swallow food. Meanwhile, people who experience odynophagia can still swallow food easily, it's just that it hurts.

Apart from odynophagia, which is defined as pain when swallowing, other swallowing disorders are often considered the same, namely dysphagia, aka difficulty swallowing. In fact, both are different conditions even though they can occur at the same time.

Dysphagia is caused by problems with the nerves or muscles in the mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, or a combination of these. There are many causes of nerve or muscle problems that make swallowing difficult. Some are chronic underlying diseases, such as stroke, achalasia, ALS, stomach acid reflux (GERD), to esophageal cancer.

Dysphagia is divided into three types, namelyoral dysphagia due to weak tongue muscles,pharyngeal dysphagia because the throat muscles are problematic so that they cannot push food into the stomach, andesophageal dysphagia due to a blockage or irritation of the esophagus.

Then, is it difficult to swallow because dysphagia can be cured?

Even though dysphagia isn't a condition to worry about too much, you still need proper treatment. Difficulty swallowing for a long time can make you lazy to eat and eventually decrease your appetite, so your body doesn't get enough nutrients. Treatment is also needed so that the disturbance does not get worse.

Reporting from the NHS Choices page, most cases of difficulty swallowing can be cured. However, you must know very well what causes it to make it difficult for you to swallow. Treatment therapy for dysphagia will be determined by the type and cause of dysphagia.

Even in some cases, treating an underlying disease, such as oral cancer or esophageal cancer, can help alleviate the condition.

What is the proper treatment for this condition?

As explained above, dysphagia treatment must be tailored to the type and underlying cause.

If your dysphagia is oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) dysphagia, treatment includes swallowing therapy to improve muscle capacity, mouth response, and stimulate nerves that trigger the swallowing reflex. Another option is to see a nutritionist to ask for advice on the right diet, while ensuring you get a healthy and balanced diet. Usually, you will be advised to increase your consumption of soft foods and liquids that make swallowing easier.

If the above methods do not work, your doctor may recommend that you install a feeding tube to insert nutrients into the body while you are recovering from the disease. Tube feeding is especially used for people who are already experiencing complications of dysphagia such as pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, or other severe cases who are at risk of experiencing malnutrition.

Oropharyngeal dysfafia is usually quite difficult to treat, especially if it is caused by damage to the nervous system such as from a stroke. His condition cannot be cured right away if he only uses drugs or surgery. Therefore, an effective treatment is needed for this.

For cases of esophageal dysphagia where the problem originates in the esophagus, the treatment options are Botox injections to relax the stiff esophageal muscles due to achalasia or by prescription drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to reduce stomach acid and widen the esophageal tract. 3. Operations

Other cases of esophageal dysphagia can usually be treated with surgery or surgery to correct the narrowing or blockage of the esophagus, which is usually caused by a tumor growth in the esophagus or a stiff esophageal muscle due to achalasia.