What is pharyngeal dysfunction?

With dysfunction of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing, food transport to the esophagus may be impaired. As a result, food is retained in the pharynx after a swallow. In normal persons, small amounts of food are commonly retained in the valleculae or pyri-form sinus after swallowing.

What causes muscle weakness in throat?

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy neuromuscular connections. This causes problems with communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. It affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially the eyes, mouth, throat, and limbs.

What is pharyngeal dysphagia?

Pharyngeal dysphagia refers to problems in the throat during swallowing. Dysphagia may lead to aspiration (where food or liquid gets into the lungs). Dysphagia can affect a person at any age, from infants to the elderly.

How is pharyngeal dysphagia treated?

For oropharyngeal dysphagia, your doctor may refer you to a speech or swallowing therapist, and therapy may include:

1. Learning exercises. Certain exercises may help coordinate your swallowing muscles or restimulate the nerves that trigger the swallowing reflex.
2. Learning swallowing techniques.

Why is pharyngeal residue bad?

In patients with dysphagia, pharyngeal bolus residue is a significant predictor of postswallow aspiration [1, 2]. As a result, this bolus residual material poses an aspiration risk as it may enter the airway after swallowing.

Can you strain the muscles in your throat?

If your voice is tired, your throat feels tight, or it hurts to talk, you may have muscle tension dysphonia, or voice strain caused muscle tightness. This common voice problem can occur even if your vocal cords are normal but the muscles in your throat are working inefficiently.

Is dysphagia serious?

Dysphagia may also be associated with pain. In some cases, swallowing may be impossible. Occasional difficulty swallowing, which may occur when you eat too fast or don’t chew your food well enough, usually isn’t cause for concern. But persistent dysphagia may indicate a serious medical condition requiring treatment.

Does dysphagia go away?

Dysphagia is a another medical name for difficulty swallowing. This symptom isn’t always indicative of a medical condition. In fact, this condition may be temporary and go away on its own.

Can the muscles in your throat hurt?

Any pain in or around the neck can give rise to extremely tense laryngeal (throat) muscles. This is often experienced as a ‘lump’ sensation, tightness or constriction. Rare causes include chronic laryngitis, enlarged tonsils or muscle spasm in the oesophagus.

How is muscle weakness related to pharyngeal dysfunction?

Prolonged mechanical ventilation is associated with muscle weakness, pharyngeal dysfunction, and symptomatic aspiration. The authors hypothesized that muscle strength measurements can be used to predict pharyngeal dysfunction (endoscopic evaluation–primary hypothesis), as well as symptomatic aspiration occurring during a 3-month follow-up period.

Can a dysfunction of the superior pharyngeal constrictor cause ear pain?

A dysfunction in the action of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle can cause soreness, tightness or pain. There is also the possibility of ear symptoms since the constrictor muscle can affect the eustachian tube and the palatal muscles as well.

What causes pharyngeal constriction across many aetiologies?

Pharyngeal weakness is seen across many common conditions: Parkinson’s disease 2, brainstem stroke 3, anterior cervical spine surgery 4, head and neck cancer 5, myotonic muscular dystrophy 6 and Zenker’s diverticulum 7. Figure 1 demonstrates impaired pharyngeal constriction across aetiologies.

How does the constrictor work in the pharynx?

When a bolus of food enters the pharynx, the elevator muscles relax as the pharynx descends, then the constrictor muscles engage and contract on the bolus of food and move it downward into the esophagus. A dysfunction in the action of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle can cause soreness, tightness or pain.