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.
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:
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 |
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 |
Hereditary conditions such as muscular dystrophy can lead to swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) due to a lack of muscle control necessary for normal swallowing.
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.
If you have fungal overgrowth in your esophagus, symptoms may include pain and difficulty in swallowing.