Painful swallowing is any pain or discomfort while swallowing. You may feel it high in the neck or lower down behind the breastbone. Most often, the pain feels like a strong sensation of squeezing or burning. Painful swallowing may be a symptom of a serious disorder. Show Swallowing involves many nerves and muscles in the mouth, throat area, and food pipe (esophagus). Part of swallowing is voluntary. This means you are aware of controlling the action. However, much of swallowing is involuntary. Problems at any point in the swallowing process (including chewing, moving food to the back of the mouth, or moving it to the stomach) can result in painful swallowing. Swallowing problems can cause symptoms such as:
Swallowing problems may be due to infections, such as:
Swallowing problems may be due to a problem with the esophagus, such as:
Other causes of swallowing problems include:
Some tips that may help you to ease swallowing pain at home include:
If someone is choking, immediately perform the Heimlich maneuver. Contact your health care provider if you have painful swallowing and:
Tell your provider about any other symptoms that occur with the painful swallowing, including:
Your provider will examine you and ask about your medical history and symptoms, including:
The following tests may be done:
Swallowing - pain or burning; Odynophagia; Burning feeling when swallowing Allen CT, Nussenbaum B, Merati AL. Acute and chronic laryngopharyngitis. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 61. DeVault KR. Symptoms of esophageal disease. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 13. Pandolfino JE, Kahrilas PJ. Esophageal neuromuscular function and motility disorders. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 44. Wilcox CM. Gastrointestinal consequences of infection with human immunodeficiency virus. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 35. Updated by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. What does rightRight-sided chest pain may or may not be serious. Sometimes, this pain can signal a heart attack or collapsed lung. Other times, there might be a simple answer, such as gastroesophageal reflux or a muscle strain. Severe chest pain that comes along with other symptoms should be taken more seriously.
How do I stop my chest from hurting when I swallow?Share on Pinterest Throat sprays may help to provide short-term relief from pain. Treatments for painful swallowing include: treating the underlying causes, such as taking antibiotics for infections, or antacids for acid reflux. anti-inflammatories to relieve pain from inflammations, such as tonsillitis and laryngitis.
Why does it feel like something is stuck in my chest when I swallow?A narrowed esophagus (stricture) can trap large pieces of food. Tumors or scar tissue, often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can cause narrowing. Esophageal tumors. Difficulty swallowing tends to get progressively worse when esophageal tumors are present due to narrowing of the esophagus.
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