The Most Common Dysphagia Symptoms

Dysphagia can affect people in a wide range of circumstances – from newborn babies to senior citizens. Understanding the underlying causes of dysphagia and the symptoms associated with them will help determine your best path forward.

John Holahan has dedicated his life to helping those with a Dysphagia diagnosis live an otherwise happy life by optimizing thickening products.

What is Dysphagia

Dysphagia is a condition closely associated with difficulty swallowing. If you have dysphagia, you’ll notice it’s very difficult to move food or liquid from your mouth to your stomach. In some cases, you might experience pain with it. And with the most extreme ones, you’ll struggle to transfer content down your esophagus altogether.

Occasional difficulty swallowing isn’t usually a serious medical issue. However, if you regularly struggle to swallow solid food or other swallowing problems you may want to consult a doctor.

What are the Symptoms of Dysphagia

Some of the most common dysphagia symptoms include:

Odynophagia (pain while swallowing)
Drooling
Frequent Heartburn
Unexpected weight loss
Being hoarse
Feeling stomach acid in the back of your throat
Regurgitating food
Coughing or gagging when swallowing
Acid Reflux

How to ease Dysphagia-related discomfort

Receiving a dysphagia diagnosis doesn’t mean you need to immediately resort to a feeding tube. If you have difficulty holding down liquids, for instance, you can turn to over-the-counter thickeners.

A dysphagia diagnosis can be devastating, but SimplyThick can help to make what was once a struggle into part of a normal, easy routine.

There are several brands of thickeners on the market, but SimplyThick is unique because it uses xanthan gum rather than starch to thicken liquids, making them thicker without compromising safety or taste—helping dysphagia patients enjoy the food and drink they’ve always enjoyed (including carbonated drinks like beer and soda) without compromise.

What are the Causes of Dysphagia

Esophageal dysphagia

Esophageal dysphagia is most closely associated with problems in your esophagus. More specifically, it refers to the sensation of food getting stuck or hung up in the base of your throat or chest after you’ve started to swallow.

Some of the most common causes of this type of dysphagia include:

GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a
Diffuse spasm: Muscles in your esophagus contract in an uncoordinated way
Achalasia: Lower esophageal muscle doesn’t relax when you swallow, keeping food from entering your stomach
Esophageal ring: A small section of the lower esophagus narrows when you swallow, preventing solid foods from passing through with ease
Esophageal stricture: This refers to a narrowing of the esophagus, commonly associated with GERD
Esophageal tumors: A tumor in your esophagus will make swallowing much more difficult
Scleroderma: Refers to a group of rare autoimmune diseases where the skin and connective tissues become tighter and harden
Radiation therapy: This common cancer treatment can sometimes lead to inflammation and scarring of the esophagus
Eosinophilic esophagitis: A condition that’s caused by an overpopulation of white blood cells in the esophagus, usually associated with a food allergy

Oropharyngeal dysphagia

Oropharyngeal dysphagia refers to the sensation of food getting stuck as it transfers from your mouth to your throat. Some medical conditions may weaken your throat muscles, which can induce gagging, choking or coughing up food when trying to swallow.

Causes of Oropharyngeal dysphagia include:

Neurological Damage: A stroke or a brain or spinal cord injury can shock your nervous system, sometimes affecting your ability to swallow
Neurological Disorders: Common disorders — such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease — can cause dysphagia.
Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum: This occurs when a small pouch collects food particles in your through and leads to difficulty swallowing
Cancer: Some cancers are known to cause trouble swallowing

The SimplyThick Story

SimplyThick creator John Holahan knew that liquid thickeners were a must for people with dysphagia, but he also knew that starch thickeners created lumpy, unappealing, and terrible tasting liquids that never seemed to mix completely.

Through 16 years of development, John has brought SimplyThick from being one of many liquid thickeners to the premiere thickener brand, with thousands of happy customers — both who have used the SimplyThick family of products and families and caregivers of patients in need who have seen success and relief thanks to its smooth, flavorless, reliable formula.

SimplyThick was recommended with a sample comparison by a speech therapist at Barrow’s Neurological Clinic in Phoenix, and you can’t get much better than that!. Both the product and your service are excellent. One less thing for us to worry about in our battle with PSP.

Margaret Ingham

This was a difficult diagnosis and we are very grateful for your product which is easy to use and works well to assist in proper swallowing of liquids. Thank you for providing the product and for making it accessible online and for shipping quickly!

Sue McGown

SimplyThick is easy to use because it mixes well with all beverages without changing the taste. I use the nectar consistency individual packets. I was treated for throat cancer and swallowing thin liquids was almost impossible without aspirating them. SimplyThick solved that problem for me.

John L Moore