Dysphagia

Dysphagia: means difficulty in swallowing

Odynophagia: Painful swallowing usually due to GERD or Candidiasis.

Globus Hystericus: This is a condition in which anxious people feel a lump in the throat

Causes of dysphagia

1. Oropharyngeal: difficulty in initiation of act of swallowing, nasal regurgitation, aspiration and chocking due to: e. g. Bulbar or pseudobulbar palsy and myasthenia gravis.
2. 
   Oesophageal causes: food sticking after swallowing but the level at which this is felt correlates poorly with the true site of obstruction due to: e. g. structural diseases like benign and malignant tumors, of oesophagus and strictures ( peptic ulcer, chemicals,..) or it my be due to motility disorders like achalasia and oesophagitis (peptic or candidiasis) or due to pressure from outside like lung tumour, cardiomegaly, aortic aneurysm 

Investigations

1. Endoscopy is the investigation of choice as biopsy can be taken and therapeutic procedures like dilatation can be performed.
2. Barium swallow and Manometry for detection of motility disorders like achalasia.