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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will likely perform a physical examination and may use a variety of tests to determine the cause of your swallowing problem.
Tests that your doctor or a specialist uses may include:
- Barium X-ray. For this test, you drink a barium solution. The barium coats the inside of your esophagus, allowing it to show up better on X-rays. Your doctor can then see changes in the shape of your esophagus and can assess the muscular activity. Your doctor may also have you swallow solid food or a pill coated with barium to watch the muscles in your throat as you swallow or to look for subtle blockages in your esophagus that the liquid barium solution may not identify.
- Endoscopy. A thin, flexible, lighted instrument (endoscope) is passed down your throat so that your doctor can view your esophagus. Your doctor may also do a test called a fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), which uses a small lighted tube (flexible laryngoscope) placed in the nose. This allows your doctor to see what's going on when you swallow.
- Esophageal muscle test. In this test, called manometry (muh-NOM-uh-tree), a small tube is inserted into your esophagus and connected to a pressure recorder. This allows measurement of the muscle contractions of your esophagus as you swallow.
References
- Dysphagia. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/dysph.asp. Accessed Aug. 1, 2009.
- Fass R. Approach to the patient with dysphagia. http://www.uptodate.com/index/home.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Dysphagia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec02/ch012/ch012b.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Goyal RK. Dysphagia. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2888607. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Feeding and swallowing disorders in children. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/FeedSwallowChildren.htm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2009.
- Swallowing trouble. American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/swallowingTrouble.cfm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2009.
- Barrett KE. Esophageal Motility. In: Barrett KE. Gastrointestinal Physiology. New York, N.Y.: Lange Medical/McGraw Hill Medical; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2307248. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. Aug. 13, 2009.
