Painful swallowing
Swallowing - pain or burning; Odynophagia; Burning feeling when swallowing, dysphagiaPainful 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.
Considerations
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 once it starts.
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:
- Chest pain
Chest pain
Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Feeling of food stuck in the throat
- Heaviness or pressure in the neck or upper chest while eating
Causes
Swallowing problems may be due to infections, such as:
- Cytomegalovirus
- Gum disease (gingivitis)
- Herpes simplex virus
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Pharyngitis (sore throat)
Pharyngitis
Pharyngitis, or sore throat, is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. It often makes it painful to swallow.
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Thrush
Thrush is a yeast infection of the tongue and lining of the mouth.
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Swallowing problems may be due to a problem with the esophagus, such as:
- Achalasia
Achalasia
The tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach is the esophagus or food pipe. Achalasia makes it harder for the esophagus to move food int...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Esophageal spasms
Esophageal spasms
Esophageal spasms are abnormal contractions of the muscles in the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. These spasms ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach contents leak backward from the stomach into the esophagus (food pipe). F...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Inflammation of the esophagus
Inflammation of the esophagus
Esophagitis is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus becomes swollen, inflamed, or irritated. The esophagus is the tube that leads from y...
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Nutcracker esophagus
An esophageal perforation is a hole in the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube food passes through as it goes from the mouth to the stomach....
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Ulcer in the esophagus, especially due to tetracyclines (antibiotic), aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Eosinophilic esophagitis
Other causes of swallowing problems include:
- Mouth or throat ulcers
- Something stuck in the throat (for example, fish or chicken bones)
- Tooth infection or abscess
Home Care
Some tips that may help you to ease swallowing pain at home include:
- Eat slowly and chew your food well.
- Eat pureed foods or liquids if solid foods are hard to swallow.
- Avoid very cold or very hot foods if they make your symptoms worse.
If someone is choking, immediately perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Heimlich maneuver
Choking is when someone is having a very hard time breathing because food, a toy, or other object is blocking the throat or windpipe (airway). A cho...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWhen to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your health care provider if you have painful swallowing and:
- Blood in your stools or your stools appear black or tarry
- Shortness of breath or lightheadedness
- Weight loss
Tell your provider about any other symptoms that occur with the painful swallowing, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Chills
- Cough
- Fever
- Heartburn
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sour taste in the mouth
- Wheezing
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your provider will examine you and ask about your medical history and symptoms, including:
- Do you have pain when swallowing solids, liquids, or both?
- Is the pain constant or does it come and go?
- Is the pain getting worse?
- Do you have difficulty swallowing?
- Do you have a sore throat?
- Does it feel like there is a lump in your throat?
- Have you inhaled or swallowed any irritating substances?
- What other symptoms do you have?
- What other health problems do you have?
- What medicines do you take?
The following tests may be done:
- Endoscopy with biopsy
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...
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A biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination.
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Barium swallow
An upper GI and small bowel series is a set of x-rays taken to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Barium enema is a related test th...
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Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.
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Esophageal pH monitoring
Esophageal pH monitoring is a test that measures how often stomach acid enters the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach (called the esophagu...
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Esophageal manometry
Esophageal manometry is a test to measure how well the esophagus is working.
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Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum)....
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- Neck x-ray
- Throat culture
References
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.
Review Date: 8/7/2023
Reviewed By: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.