What Causes Difficulty Swallowing?

Difficulty swallowing can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose difficulty swallowing, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "difficulty swallowing" as a symptom. Here are six possibilities:

Fluorosis
Muscular Dystrophy
Candida / Yeast
Dermatomyositis
Lichen Planus
Esophageal Stricture

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

occasional bowel movement changes

suspected muscular dystrophy

history of vaginal yeast infection

high cigarette smoke sensitivity

indoor allergies

craving and eating wheat

discomfort caused by mold/mustiness

painful swallowing

significant mouth sores

heart racing/palpitations

Duchene muscular dystrophy

slightly impaired ability to walk

... and more than 60 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of difficulty swallowing:

Cause	Probability	Status
Dermatomyositis	90%	Confirm
Fluorosis	63%	Possible
Lichen Planus	19%	Unlikely
Muscular Dystrophy	1%	Ruled out
Esophageal Stricture	0%	Ruled out
Candida / Yeast	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate eating-related issues, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you have difficulty swallowing? In other words, do you have difficulty getting liquids or chewed food to "go down"?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Occasionally / mild
→ Often / severe

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate difficulty swallowing, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Dermatomyositis

Fluoride Toxicity

Muscular Dystrophy

Hereditary conditions such as muscular dystrophy can lead to swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) due to a lack of muscle control necessary for normal swallowing.

Oral Lichen Planus

Lichen planus lesions in the throat or esophagus may result in esophageal narrowing or the formation of tight, ring-like bands in the esophagus that can make swallowing difficult.

Yeast / Candida Infection

If you have fungal overgrowth in your esophagus, symptoms may include pain and difficulty in swallowing.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™