Difficulty Swallowing When Eating You May Have Eoe
Do you need to eat slowly and chew carefully to prevent food getting stuck? Do you have continuing heartburn or difficulty swallowing despite treatment with prescription strength proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole?
You may have a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis , a chronic allergic inflammation of the esophagus, which can lead to narrowing of the esophagus. Over the past 20 years, EoE has been increasingly recognized as the underlying cause in children presenting with feeding problems, vomiting or failure to gain weight and in adults presenting with difficulty swallowing and food impaction.
The allergic inflammation of EoE is triggered by food antigens. Airborne allergens are reported to play a role as well. The condition is more frequent in males and has a genetic component. Patients with EoE frequently have a personal or family history of environmental and food hypersensitivities, asthma, or eczema. Of note, the foods that tend to get stuck in the esophagus are typically dry, solid foods such as bread and meats, rather than the foods actually triggering the esophageal inflammation and ultimate narrowing.
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Difficulty Swallowing Post Nasal Drip And Throat Tightness
- Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Last Editorial Review: 8/31/2020
While these symptoms are sometimes observed during an panic or anxiety reaction, they are very commonly associated with allergies and viral infections that cause sore throat, particularly if accompanied by other symptoms of upper respiratory infections like runny nose and cough. If you are concerned about your symptoms, seek the advice of your doctor.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
Symptoms Of Sore Throat
A sore throat can make it painful to swallow. A sore throat can also feel dry and scratchy. Sore throat can be a symptom of strep throat, the common cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory tract illness. Sore throat caused by a virus or the bacteria called group A Streptococcus can have similar symptoms.
Sometimes the following symptoms suggest a virus is causing the illness instead of Strep throat:
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Remedies For A Sore Throat From Sinus Issues
Treating sinus issues can be an effective way to treat the symptom of a sore throat if this is the underlying cause of your discomfort. The best treatment to relieve a sore throat from sinus issues will depend on the specific sinus or nasal problem the patient is dealing with. In addition to asking questions about your symptoms, an experienced ENT doctor will often completely examine the nose and airways with an endoscopy to determine the reason for obstruction, drainage or inflammation. After a diagnosis has been made, a treatment plan can be developed to match the sinus problem at hand.
Sinusitis
If chronic sinusitis is the underlying source of your sore throat, you may need to take action to reduce the swelling and draining that can stem from this infection. One of the best ways to treat the infection and ensure it doesnt come back is a balloon sinuplasty procedure. In this procedure the sinus openings are enlarged, allowing the airways to open and the infection to clear. Larger sinus openings allow the sinuses to drain properly, resulting in fewer problems or symptoms like sore throat in the future.
Enlarged Turbinates
Deviated Septum and Other Nasal Issues
Introduction: What Is A Sore Throat
Do allergies cause sore throat? A sore throat is a common symptom of many health problems, such as colds and allergies. an infection or inflammation in the throat. It can also be a symptom of the flu, strep throat, or mononucleosis. The most common symptoms of a sore throat are pain and difficulty swallowing, which may be accompanied by fever, headache, fatigue, or earache.
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What Is Drug Desensitization
Sometimes, you need to take a medication that youre allergic to. For example, certain chemotherapy medications to treat ovarian cancer may cause an allergic reaction. There may be no safe alternative.
A healthcare provider, usually an allergist or immunologist, can do drug desensitization. This helps your body temporarily accept the medicine. The provider gives you a very small dose of the medicine. Over a few hours, they gradually increase the dose until youve received the full amount. You continue to take the medicine regularly. Doing so keeps you in this temporary non-allergic state. Once you stop taking the medication, youll be allergic to it again.
When To Seek Medical Attention
Postnasal drip and sore throat are among the most annoying and uncomfortable allergy symptoms, but they arent usually dangerous to your health. However, there are times when you may need to see your healthcare provider. Call your doctor if you have:
- Severe or worsening throat pain
- Sore throat with other symptoms, such as fever or bloody mucus
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Enlarged lymph nodes in your throat/neck
At Healthcare Associates of Texas, we have a team of dedicated, caring healthcare providers that offer specialized allergy services from screening for allergies to effective treatments for mild to severe allergic reactions. Our team will provide a personalized plan designed for you to screen for and treat your allergies to help you feel your best.
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Symptoms Of Strep Throat
The most common symptoms of strep throat include:
- Sore throat that can start very quickly
- Pain when swallowing
- Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
- Tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth
- Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck
Sometimes someone with strep throat also has a rash known as scarlet fever .
What To Do When Your Throat Is Closing Up From Allergies
You can gargle with a mixture of salt, baking soda, and warm water, or suck on a throat lozenge. Rest your voice until you feel better. Anaphylaxis is treated under close medical supervision and with a shot of epinephrine. Other medications like antihistamines and corticosteroids may be necessary as well.
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Swallowing Pills Or Food
You don’t want anything to stick to and irritate your esophagus. Small, oval, and heavier pills pass through more easily than large, round, and lighter ones. The medications most likely to cause problems are antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline, potassium supplements, and NSAIDs.
To prevent this, have at least a half-cup of water when you take a pill, and sit up straight for at least 10 minutes afterward. If itâs a medicine known to irritate, drink a cup of water and donât lie down for at least 30 minutes.
Hand Foot And Mouth Disease
As the name implies, this viral illness usually causes sores to form on the hands, feet, and mouth. Sores can develop in the back of the mouth, near the sides of the throat, and one side may be more affected than the other.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually occurs in children under 5 years of age , but it can also spread to older children and adults.
The recommended treatment usually comprises rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication for pain relief. However, the disease can cause dehydration, especially in young children. A person should see a doctor if they are unable to drink.
Overusing or misusing the voice can lead to lesions or sores on the vocal cords. A lesion may form on one side, causing one area of the throat to be sore.
A person with a vocal cord lesion will usually notice a change in their voice, such as hoarseness.
These types of lesions are usually treatable. Resting the voice and vocal therapy are typically used to correct vocal cord lesions. In some cases, lesions will require surgery.
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S For Managing Your Sore Throat
The first step in managing your allergy-induced sore throats is visiting a professional. From there, we can determine the root cause of your allergy, and help you create a personalized plan for removing the trigger from your life and/or ways to manage your allergies when removing the trigger isnt a realistic solution.
What Happens When Exposed To Allergens
An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction. After youve been exposed to an allergen, your body identifies it as a threat, and your immune system kicks into high gear to protect against the perceived threat. Your body will release histamines into your bloodstream, which is what leads to allergy symptoms, such as a sore throat.
Histamines also trigger your body to produce extra mucus to keep your mouth, nose, and throat from drying out. Most days, you dont notice your bodys mucus production. But when your immune system releases too many histamines after being exposed to an allergen, this vigorous response leads to congestion, postnasal drip, and a sore throat.
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How Do Allergy Shots Work
Allergy shots are different from other medications in that they don’t work as a form of symptom management. Instead, they work to address the underlying cause.
Healthcare providers give shots in their offices. For the first few months, you receive injections one to three times a week. After that, you’ll get them less often, around every four to six weeks. Allergy shots are a long-term treatment option, lasting three to five years.
Allergy shots tend to be a good idea for people who don’t want to take medication or whose allergy medication is no longer working. It’s also appealing to people who would like to resolve, rather than treat, their allergies.
When To Seek Medical Care
Talk to your doctor if you or your child have symptoms of sore throat. They may need to test you or your child for strep throat.
Also see a doctor if you or your child have any of the following:
- Difficulty breathing
Since bacteria cause strep throat, antibiotics are needed to treat the infection and prevent rheumatic fever and other complications. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking in the throat. If your doctor thinks you might have strep throat, they can test you to determine if it is causing your illness.
Anyone with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they no longer have fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12 hours.
If a virus causes a sore throat, antibiotics will not help. Most sore throats will get better on their own within one week. Your doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help you feel better.
More aboutC. diff
When antibiotics arent needed, they wont help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.
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When To See A Doctor
Usually, a sore throat without fever will go away on its own, so Keany recommends waiting a few days before seeking medical care as long as your symptoms are mild.
However, you should seek immediate medical care if you have:
- Difficulty breathing
- Noises or whistling when you breath
- Trouble swallowing
- Blood in your saliva or phlegm
- Joint swelling or pain
If your symptoms do not improve within a week or if you frequently experience sore throats with no fever, see your doctor, says Patel.
When To Contact Your Healthcare Provider
If your symptoms dont improve, or you feel worse, you should contact your healthcare provider. The American Academy of Otolaryngology recommends alerting your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
- Swelling of the neck or face
- A fever of 101°F or higher
- Lumps in the throat or neck
If you have allergies that lead to a sore throat, treating them with OTC medication or natural remedies may provide you with relief from pain and discomfort. However, if your symptoms worsen, contact your healthcare provider to rule out a more serious health concern.
Clinically reviewed and updated March 2022.
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Reasons You May Be Having Difficulty Swallowing
Dr. Alexa Lessow at Lexington ENT & Allergy has treated numerous patients with dysphagia, the medical term for problems with swallowing. Sometimes determining the reason it hurts for you to swallow can be a complex undertaking, because it can be a symptom of quite a few different conditions.
Each year, about 1 in 25 adults in the United States have problems swallowing. By preventing you from swallowing normally, dysphagia can lead to malnourishment and other health problems.
In this post we discuss five of the most common reasons you may be having difficulty swallowing. If you have pain or discomfort when you swallow and cant determine why, seek treatment sooner rather than later. Early treatment can make a difference.
Spring Allergies May Make It Difficult To Swallow
Eosinophilic esophagitis is a disease characterized by the presence of a large number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, which causes inflammation in the esophagus. This inflammation can lead to stiffening or narrowing of the esophagus, which can lead to difficulty swallowing or food getting stuck in the esophagus. The cause in adults has not been clearly identified, but an allergic reaction to environmental and/or food allergens have been suggested in individuals who are genetically susceptible. There is a strong association with food allergies, environmental allergies, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. Hence the worsening of symptoms during Spring and Fall. This condition was initially thought to be rare, but has been increasing over the years, possibly due to increasing recognition. Current estimates of this condition may be as high as 2-3 per 10,000 individuals.
There are two basic approaches to treating eosinophilic esophagitis. One is to use medication , and the other is to change your diet. The most common dietary change is a six-food elimination diet, in which you remove milk, egg, soy, wheat, nuts/tree nuts, and fish/shellfish. A targeted-elimination diet can also be considered as well as referral to an allergist/immunologist. Currently treatment is directed at controlling symptoms, reducing eosinophil levels in the tissue, and preventing complications of the disease, such as food impactions.
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Confirming Or Ruling Out Eosinophilic Esophagitis
If you or your child fit the description above, our first order of business is to run some allergy tests to see whether you may be having a response to certain foods or other allergens. As well, we will likely arrange for an upper endoscopy, in which a camera and special instruments are inserted into your esophagus to take a closer look at the lining and to gather a tissue sample for biopsy.
If we find the presence of eosinophils in the biopsy and you or your child test positive for food allergies, the odds are were dealing with EoE.
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What Tests Can Diagnose Anaphylaxis
An allergist may recommend testing your skin and blood. These tests can confirm the substances that cause severe reactions. A skin test places a small amount of the allergen on your skin to see if it causes a reaction. A blood test that measures tryptase can be helpful if obtained within one to three hours of the allergic reaction.
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Throat And Ear Pain That Doesn’t Go Away
Throat and ear pain can come and go or can be constant and slow to get better, depending on what is causing the symptoms.
For example, acid reflux is more likely to cause pain that is worse in the morning and gets better later in the day. Seasonal allergies, strep throat, and mono are more likely to come with throat and ear pain that does not go away until the conditions are treated.
What Causes A Sore Throat
Infections by contagious viruses or bacteria are the source of most sore throats. Other potential causes include:
VirusesSore throats often accompany viral infections, including the flu, colds, measles, chickenpox, croup, or mononucleosis . Mono has the longest duration of symptoms, such as sore throat and extreme fatigue, and can last several weeks. Other symptoms include swollen glands in the neck, armpits, and groin fever, chills, headache, or sometimes, serious breathing difficulties.
Bacterial infectionsStrep throat is an infection caused by Streptococcus bacteria. This infection can also cause scarlet fever, tonsillitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and ear infections. Symptoms of strep throat often include fever , white draining patches on the throat, and swollen or tender lymph glands in the neck. Children may have a headache and stomach pain.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. This infection can bring about violent, uncontrollable coughing, making it hard to breathe and causing you to make a whooping sound. Whooping cough can affect people of all ages, but can be especially serious, even deadly, for babies less than one-year-old.
AllergiesYou may also be allergic to pollens, molds, animal dander, and/or house dust, for example, which can lead to a sore throat.
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