Chest pain when swallowing is a common gastroenterological symptom, as it indicates in all cases the development of a certain pathological process that affects such an organ of the gastrointestinal tract as the esophagus. The most common cause of this symptom is spasm of the esophagus, but specialists from the gastroenterological field identify many more provoking factors that are of a pathological origin.
Etiology
It has already been stated above that chest pain when swallowing is provoked by disorders of the esophagus. As a result, we can say that the following diseases of this human organ become provoking factors:
- Spasm of the esophagus, which can be segmental and diffuse. In the first case, the pathology of smooth muscle activity is noted throughout its entirestretch. The second situation is characterized by too strong contraction of the muscles of the organ in a particular area. This means that at some point the food will not be able to spread further.
- Inflammatory or erosive damage to the mucous layer of the esophagus.
- Hernia of the opening of the diaphragm of the esophagus.
- Dyskinesia of the organ. What other causes of pain in the chest in the middle can be?
This is:
- Achalasia cardia.
- Scar formation on the sphincter.
- GERD.
- Ulcerative inflammation of the esophagus.
- Perforation of the wall of this organ.
- Formation of oncological neoplasms, rarely benign.
- Injury to an organ by a foreign object that got into it.
- The course of the peptic form of esophagitis. Causes of pain in the chest in the middle should be investigated by a doctor.
- Spontaneous rupture of an organ - this can happen against the background of sphincter dysfunction provoked by diseases of the central nervous system or severe alcohol intoxication or restraining the urge to vomit.
- Thermal or chemical burns of the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis of chest pain when swallowing is based on the fact that a lump of food moves along the esophagus due to the specific coordination of the movements of the organ tube. If such an automatic process for the human body is violated for one of the reasons indicated above, the products will pass with certain difficulties or accumulate in any departmentesophagus. In turn, this will cause stretching and, as a result, pain syndrome.
In the event that such a deviation is the result of a certain pathology, drinking water will not be enough to stop the violation. It can also make the pain worse in some situations.
Symptomatics
Chest pain when swallowing in the vast majority of cases becomes the first clinical symptom that indicates the development of a particular disease.
The specificity of this symptom lies in the focus - soreness in the sternum is very often perceived as a symptom of vascular and heart pathologies. At the same time, patients seek help from a cardiologist, and also undergo the necessary diagnostic measures. A completely different disease is progressing in the body at this time.
Additional clinical picture
The most common symptoms of esophageal spasm that add to the clinical picture of painful swallowing are:
- Heartburn and belching.
- Discomfort and burning in the area behind the sternum.
- Radiation of pain in the area between the shoulder blades and the heart. Much less often there is a spread of discomfort in the upper limbs and back, ears and jaw.
- Human ingestion of food ingredients is disturbed - with a small organ damage, dysphagia is associated only with solid food, but as the situation worsens, even liquid does not pass through the esophageal tube, which can cause exhaustion.
- Sore throat and cough.
- The main symptom becomes permanent, greatly aggravated during eating.
- Pathological redness of the face.
- Excessive salivation and gas.
- Barbital vomiting and nausea.
- The vomit may sometimes contain pathological impurities, such as blood.
- Disordered stools - Patients especially often complain of constipation, in rare cases, diarrhea or alternation of such manifestations.
- Prolonged fever.
- Temperature increase.
- Epigastric discomfort.
- Food aversion - This is very common with dairy, meat and fatty foods.
- Shortness of breath - along with heart pain, forces patients to consult a cardiologist, not a gastroenterologist.
The symptoms listed above do not mean at all that the clinical picture will be characterized only by such manifestations. Depending on the factor of etiology, some of them may be secondary.
For chest pain when swallowing, which doctor should I contact?
When a person feels pain while swallowing, this is a characteristic gastroenterological symptom.
Pain occurs due to spasm of the esophagus. A lump of food moves through the organ due to a certain coordination of the movements of the esophagus tube. If there is a disruption in the process, the product will pass with some difficulty or accumulate in one of thedepartments of the body. In turn, this will cause it to stretch, and the result will be the appearance of pain.
Certain ulcer pains can radiate to the sternum, and often even ambulances take a person with a suspected heart attack, but in fact he has an ulcer.
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus (esophagitis) gives burning pain and symptoms of esophageal spasm to the chest area. A distinctive feature here may be chronic gastritis in history, that is, familiar and long-standing pains that have become more pronounced, intense, they are usually associated with food. It can be pain immediately after eating, when hydrochloric acid enters the inflamed stomach, resulting in burning pains.
In what cases an x-ray of the esophagus and stomach is prescribed, it is interesting to many. Let's figure it out.
Diagnostic Methods
To determine the causes that caused chest pain, a whole range of diagnostic measures is required. Thus, the comprehensive survey includes:
- acquaintance with a person's medical history;
- collecting a patient's lifetime history;
- rigorous physical examination;
- diagnostic endoscopic procedures;
- detailed questioning of the patient - to determine the severity of the main symptom and the presence of additional manifestations;
- CT and ultrasound;
- general analysis of urine and blood;
- esophagotonokymography and probing;
- microscopic examination of feces;
- X-ray of the esophagus and stomach with and without contrast agent;
- fluoroscopy and manometry;
- daily pH-metry and biopsy;
- gastroscopy and esophagoscopy.
Only after examining the results of the diagnostic procedures performed, the specialist will draw up an individual tactic for treating the disease that caused pain in the chest when swallowing.
Treatment
Although there are many predisposing factors, the treatment of chest pain when swallowing can be managed through the following main methods:
- medication use – this can include sedatives, pain relievers, antacids, calcium antagonists, general he alth medications and medicines to relieve additional symptoms;
- compliance with a sparing menu - is assigned to absolutely all patients with gastrointestinal diseases;
- physiotherapy procedures, including drug electrophoresis;
- excision of benign or malignant neoplasms;
- expansion of the esophagus through bougienage;
- chemotherapy;
- The use of traditional medicine methods is possible under the strict supervision of the attending physician.
The question of applying a certain therapeutic technique in any case is decided individually with each patient.
So, it is difficult for a person to swallow food. What's the forecast?
Prevention
To prevent pain during swallowing, including during meals, specific preventive measures have not been created. Nevertheless, patients are advised to follow a few general simple rules. These include:
- leading a he althy and active lifestyle;
- drawing up a balanced, correct and enriched diet for the body with all the necessary substances;
- avoiding physical and emotional overwork;
- use only drugs prescribed by the attending physician, while strictly observing the duration of treatment and the daily rate;
- if possible, avoid injury to the esophagus by foreign objects or from outside;
- several times a year you need to undergo a complete examination for prevention in a medical institution, be sure to visit a gastroenterologist.
Forecast
The result of chest pain during swallowing depends directly on the disease that provoked them. But since they are a specific sign that makes the patient see a doctor, treatment is often started on time, which allows you to get a positive prognosis. However, it must be remembered that any etiological factor has its own complications.
We covered what to do for chest pain when swallowing.
