Odynophagia, (Pain on Swallowing) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

This book describes Odynophagia, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases
Odynophagia (Painful swallowing) is any form of pain or discomfort when swallowing.
The patient may feel it high in the neck or lower down behind the breastbone.
Most often, the pain feels like a strong sensation of squeezing or burning.
Pain can be felt in the mouth, throat, or esophagus.
The patient may feel pain on swallowing while drinking or eating food.
Occasionally swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, can accompany the pain, but odynophagia is often a disorder of its own.
Painful swallowing may be a symptom of a serious disorder.
There is a spectrum of possible causes from self-limiting illness (e.g., tonsillitis) to carcinoma.
Causes
Odynophagia may occasionally be related to a minor disorder, such as the common cold.
In such cases, painful swallowing will recover on its own with time.
Chronic painful swallowing may be linked to another underlying cause.
1. Cancer: Sometimes chronic painful swallowing is an early sign of esophageal cancer.
Esophageal cancer may result from long-term smoking, alcohol abuse, or persistent heartburn.
2. Candida infection: This is a form of fungal infection that may happen in the mouth.
It can expand and produce esophageal symptoms like painful swallowing.
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This occurs from the lower sphincter in the esophagus not closing properly.
As a result, stomach acid leaks back into the esophagus.
The patient might have GERD if he or she has painful swallowing along with other symptoms, such as heartburn or chest pain.
4. HIV: Esophagus disorders happen often in people with HIV.
Symptoms:
1. Pain when swallowing solids, liquids, or both
2. The pain is constant or does it come and go
3. The pain is getting worse
4. Difficulty swallowing
5. Sore throat
Diagnosis:
Odynophagia is normally diagnosed with an endoscopy.
MRI scanning may also be necessary before any surgery is indicated - e.g., if there is esophageal carcinoma
Videofluoroscopy is the radiological investigation of choice when 'difficulty swallowing' rather than 'food sticking' is the presenting symptom and aspiration is suspected
Treatment

The precise treatment plan for odynophagia is dependent on the underlying cause.

Medicines
Depending on the underlying medical disorder, painful swallowing may be resolved with medicines.
Prescription medicines used to treat GERD can help prevent stomach acid from creeping back up into the pharynx and esophagus.
Consecutively, the patient may notice improvements in pain when the patient swallows.
Medicines may also be given in treating other underlying causes, such as HIV and infections.
Candida infections must be treated with antifungal medicines.
Surgery
In cases of esophageal cancer or tumors, the doctor may advise surgical removal of these cells.
This treatment may also be used for GERD if medicines do not help the disorder.
Spontaneous Recovery
If the doctor does not identify any underlying medical issue, painful swallowing might recover on its own with time.
This is frequent after having cold or severe allergies.
Home Treatment
Eat slowly and chew the food well.
Eat pureed foods or liquids if solid foods are difficult to swallow.
Avoid very cold or very hot foods if they make the symptoms worse.
General
The patient may require chewing well or liquidizing food.
Surgical
Strictures may be treated with endoscopic dilation (either using bougies or inflatable balloons).
If esophageal carcinoma is diagnosed, staging will decide whether curative surgery and chemotherapy are suitable
Endoscopic injection of the esophageal sphincter with botulinum toxin is given

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Odynophagia
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Dysphagia
Chapter 8 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940155284703
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	06/06/2018
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	128 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 65. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical conditions seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com. This autobiolographical account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 550 amazon kindle books and some into Smashwords.com eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical conditions. The first chapter of all my ebooks is always taken from my blog A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions which was started in 2007 as a simple educational help to my patients on my first blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. The medical condition was described simply and direct to the point. Because the simple guide as taken from the blog was described as too simple, I have increased the other chapters to include more detailed description of the illness, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As a result there are the complaints by some readers of constant repetitions of the same contents but in detail and fairly up to date. He has published 550 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health conditions and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Bouna Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. All the PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"