This led to an emergency endoscopy for food removal and stretching of the esophagus. Although she was able to breathe, she could not swallow anything and was extremely uncomfortable. One was a visitor from Virginia who came to the Emergency Room with food stuck in her lower esophagus. To bring this article into a more personal focus, I can report that I have seen three people in the past three weeks with difficulty swallowing. About 30 percent of Americans have a hiatal hernia and most are unaware they have the condition. But unless the hernia is quite large, it does not cause any pain. Many symptoms are blamed on a hiatal hernia. This means some portion of the stomach has been pulled into the chest. Stomach acid can then come back (reflux) into the esophagus and cause damage.Ī hiatal hernia is often seen as well. In fact, the muscle is circular and loosens over time. Many patients picture this as a flapper-type check valve. What is usually seen at endoscopy is a defective sphincter muscle between the esophagus and stomach. If cancer is present, other treatments can be started. Instruments passed through the scope can take tissue samples and scar tissue can be stretched (dilated). The tube is less than one-half inch across and does not compromise the airway.
Using sedation delivered through an IV line, and, after numbing the throat/gag reflex, a thin flexible scope is passed through the mouth down the esophagus. The procedure to investigate the problem is usually an upper endoscopy. I would worry about a 50 year-old with any hold up of food. I would not be concerned about a 20 year old who had food stick once when swallowing a sandwich that was not properly chewed. The point to be made is that any difficulty swallowing solid food should be reported to your healthcare provider immediately. This increase is blamed on the increase in reflux/heartburn in our country. And while not as common as other cancers, esophageal cancer is increasing in frequency at a substantial rate. Esophagus narrowing can be the result of esophageal cancer. This results in a narrowed esophagus and difficulty swallowing foods such as chicken, bread, meat, and rice.īenign scar tissue formation, however, is not the only cause if swallowing difficulties. Since the esophagus is not constructed to withstand repeated acid exposure, the cycle of inflammation and healing can result in scar tissue. This complaint is most often caused by scar tissue forming in the esophagus from chronic acid reflux. Difficulty swallowing solid foods is a symptom that should never be ignored.
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