The medical term for having difficulty swallowing is dysphagia. Swallowing is a complex process that requires the action of reflexes predominately occurring in the pharynx and oesophagus but also in the brain. Swallowing is an automated process, in that it automatically happens when food reaches the back of the throat, there is no thought involved in the process once it is initiated. Because of this complexity dysphagia, or trouble swallowing, can be caused for various reasons.
Swallowing difficulty may happen with: the conscious promotion of swallow; movement of food to pharynx; closing the nasal passages during swallowing; opening of the oesophagus; physical blockages stopping the successful passage of food. Or a swallowing problem may be caused by difficulties that lie within the pharynx or oesophagus itself, which may be due to diseases in the muscles that control these organs. To simplify, these problems swallowing can be sorted into two distinct causes: oropharyngeal (meaning caused by a problem in the mouth or pharynx) or oesophageal (caused by a problem in the tube that runs your food from mouth to stomach).
Symptoms of dysphagia can be split into two categories, those that are and those that are not related to swallowing. Swallowing related problems amongst elderly patients may occur because of dentures and the inability to chew food properly, this can lead to the swallowing of large pieces of food that get stuck in the oesophagus. However this does usually occur only when there are also further problems in the pharynx or oesophagus, possibly such as a stricture.
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