What are the symptoms of dysphagia?

Dysphagia is a medical condition that can present itself in a variety of symptoms and can be either temporary or more permanent. Generally speaking, common symptoms include difficulty swallowing (odynophagia), feeling that food gets stuck in your throat or chest after you swallow (dysphagic dysphagia), choking when eating or drinking (aspiration dysphagia) and coughing or gagging during meals (respiratory–related dysphagia). Other general symptoms might include weight loss and/or malnutrition, regurgitation of food, feeling overly full after eating small amounts of food as well as drooling saliva. Additional signs to look out for may involve changes to the voice such as hoarseness, nasal regurgitation through the nose due to an inability to swallow correctly or breath held while attempting to swallow. Finally it’s important to note that each individual experience with dysphagia may differ in terms of severity and type(s) of symptom experienced; therefore one should consult their healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis if they begin experiencing any changes related to swallowing difficulties.