KARACHI: Fifty per cent of patients who report to doctors with a complaint of difficulty in swallowing suffer from dysphagia, a condition that can result from many different medical conditions or their treatments. In some cases, it could become incurable if it’s not properly diagnosed and treated promptly.

These points were discussed at a programme titled Updates on dysphagia managementorganised at the Dow International Medical College (DIMC).

Explaining dysphagia, Dr Shadaba Ahmed, a UK-based surgeon, said it’s an obstruction in the passage starting from the oral cavity to the stomach. Some people had problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others couldn’t swallow at all.

“Globally, four per cent of people suffering from various diseases suffer from dysphagia. The condition is categorised as upper dysphagia if a patient presents with difficulty chewing and swallowing, while discomfort in the oesophagus is called oesophageal dysphagia,” she said.

Dr Shadaba says some people have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all

Highlighting the challenges in diagnosis, Dr Ahmed said usually the symptoms of dysphagia were similar to the signs experienced in diseases related to the nose, ear, throat, and stomach, making its diagnosis difficult. “It is important for ENT doctors to take proper histories of patients. Transnasal oesophageal endoscopy (TNE) is a better method for effective treatment of dysphagia.”

In the UK, she pointed out, no standard had been set for the treatment of dysphagia, but there were guidelines for the disease’s diagnosis and management.

According to speakers, dysphagia is usually caused by conditions that affect the nervous system, such as a stroke, head injury, dementia, cancer, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, where stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus. While it may occur at any age, it’s more common in older adults.

Its complications include weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, lung infections, pneumonia, and death.

Prof Atif Hafeez Siddiqui said that since dysphagia involved multiple organs, some cases of dysphagia were not properly diagnosed and became untreatable due to cancer or any other complication.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Prof Nazli Hussain, Dr Zeba Haque, Prof Shuja Farrukh, Dr Zahid Azam and Dr Hafeezullah Sheikh were present at the programme.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2023