Trouble in Swallowing
Dysphagia is a medical term used for difficulty in swallowing. It can also manifest other symptoms such as coughing or choking when consuming food, backing up of food through the nose, a feeling of food stuck in the throat or chest, drooling or excessive saliva, inability to chew the food properly, and wet sound when eating.
Most of the time, dysphagia or trouble swallowing is common in cases of paraesophageal hernias. It can occur without gastroesophageal reflux due to the blockage of the passage of the ingested food content on the hernia. The irritation brought by the stomach acid can cause difficulty in swallowing. In addition, it causes pain and trauma in the esophagus, which affects the throat.
Dysphagia and hiatal hernia are linked due to the effect of the hiatus or hole in the diaphragm creating a mechanical obstruction in the esophagus. This condition indicates a worsening hiatal hernia, and the patient needs immediate medical attention.
