Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionAnxiety and DysphagiaDepression and DysphagiaOther DisordersPsychiatric MedicationsTreatmentSwallowing Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Anxiety and Dysphagia
Depression and Dysphagia
Other Disorders
Psychiatric Medications
Treatment
Swallowing Tips
Anxietydysphagiais one of many physical and medical causes of dysphagia.Dysphagiais the medical term for difficulty when swallowing. Swallowing is a complex process. It involves coordination from about 50 different nerves and muscles in the mouth, throat, andesophagus.
Functional dysphagia is a condition described as having dysphagia symptoms when there seems to be no structural or medical reason for it. People with psychological issues or mental illness are prone to dysphagia, though the reasons aren’t completely understood.
This article discusses mental health disorders associated with dysphagia, causes of functional dysphagia, and treatments.
Verywell / Dennis Madamba
What Is Functional Dysphagia?
Symptoms of functional dysphagia can differ from person to person but may include:
Dysphagia can be serious if you choke and food gets into your airways and blocks them, known as aspiration.
There is a high incidence of dysphagia among people with mental health conditions, which may be due to a side effect of medication, a phobia, or abnormal eating behaviors.
Other Types of DysphagiaDysphagia is a symptom of a health concern rather than a disease or medical condition itself. In addition to functional dysphagia, other types of dysphagia include:Oropharyngealdysphagia: Difficulty moving food from the mouth to the throatEsophagealdysphagia: Difficulty moving food down the esophagusNeuromuscular symptom complex: A symptom of a progressive neurological disease or neurological damage
Other Types of Dysphagia
Dysphagia is a symptom of a health concern rather than a disease or medical condition itself. In addition to functional dysphagia, other types of dysphagia include:Oropharyngealdysphagia: Difficulty moving food from the mouth to the throatEsophagealdysphagia: Difficulty moving food down the esophagusNeuromuscular symptom complex: A symptom of a progressive neurological disease or neurological damage
Dysphagia is a symptom of a health concern rather than a disease or medical condition itself. In addition to functional dysphagia, other types of dysphagia include:
Anxiety and panic attacks can cause the throat muscles to tighten and constrict. Some people report anxiety makes them feel as if they are being choked. This can make swallowing difficult.
Dysphagia associated with anxiety may also be a result ofsomatic symptom disorder(SSD)—an intense focus on physical symptoms, enough to disrupt daily activities.
People are diagnosed with SSD if they have at least two of the following characteristics:
If the symptoms last for more than six months, it’s considered chronic.
Experts have also noted a strong link betweenanxietyand the severity of dysphagia symptoms. Anxiety can cause “esophageal hypervigilance,” an intense, exaggerated focus on swallowing. It occurs more often in people who have been treated for a medical condition involving the esophagus.
Dysphagia is associated withdepressionand appears to be more common as the severity of depression increases. A review of 30 studies found that people with mild depression were three times more likely to have dysphagia, and people with moderate depression were 13 times more likely to have dysphagia compared to people not experiencing anxiety or depression.
Other Mental Health Disorders Linked to Dysphagia
In addition to anxiety and depression, other mental health disorders associated with functional dysphagia include:
Sometimes, though rare, dysphagia is a form of a phobia. These phobias include:
Symptoms associated with phagophobia include:
Symptoms associated with pseudodysphagia include:
Other individuals with mental illnesses may have episodes of dysphagia because they have trouble sitting still when eating, which increases the chance of food getting stuck. Or, they are hyperactive and eat their food too quickly.
Dysphagia and Psychiatric Medication
Dysphagia may also occur as a side effect of medication. Medications associated with mental illness that can induce dysphagia include:
Medical Causes
Medical causes of dysphagia include neurological conditions, such as:
If you experience esophageal dysphagia that is worse with solids, consult a healthcare provider right away, as this can be a sign of a tumor.
How Dysphagia Disrupts Food Digestion
Treatment for dysphagia depends on the cause. If it is due to a psychiatric cause, treatment can include:
How to Overcome a Phobia
Tips for Managing Swallowing Difficulties
Strategies to help manage swallowing difficulties include:
Summary
Dysphagia describes difficulty swallowing. If severe, dysphagia can make it difficult to eat, lead to a higher risk of choking, and disrupt normal routines.
Dysphagia can have many different causes. Some cases of dysphagia are due to structural abnormalities or disease, and some are considered functional, where there is no apparent physical cause. Psychiatric reasons for dysphagia include anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, somatic symptom disorder, and more.
Treatment includes therapy or changes in medication and/or dosages, which may help alleviate symptoms so that they do not interfere with daily life.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Dysphagia.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Dysphagia.University of California Los Angeles.Functional dysphagia.Cedars-Sinai.Dysphagia.Sahoo S, et al.Choking phobia : an uncommon phobic disorder, treated with behavior therapy.Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry. 2016;28(6):349. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.216055American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Taft TH, et al.Esophageal hypervigilance and symptom-specific anxiety in patients.Gastroenterology. 2021;161(4):1133-1144. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.023Khayyat YM, Abdul Wahab RA, Natto NK, et al.Impact of anxiety and depression on the swallowing process among patients with neurological disorders and head and neck neoplasia: systemic review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s41983-023-00674-yNational Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: the fear of eating.Children’s Hospital Wisconsin.Choking phobia.Schwemmle C, Jungheim M, Miller S, Kühn D, Ptok M.Medication-induced dysphagia: A review.HNO. 2015;63(7):504-510. doi:10.1007/s00106-015-0015-8UCLA Health.Functional dysphagia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: fear of eating.Veterans Affairs Nutrition and Food Services.Tips for chewing and swallowing problems.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Dysphagia.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Dysphagia.University of California Los Angeles.Functional dysphagia.Cedars-Sinai.Dysphagia.Sahoo S, et al.Choking phobia : an uncommon phobic disorder, treated with behavior therapy.Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry. 2016;28(6):349. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.216055American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Taft TH, et al.Esophageal hypervigilance and symptom-specific anxiety in patients.Gastroenterology. 2021;161(4):1133-1144. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.023Khayyat YM, Abdul Wahab RA, Natto NK, et al.Impact of anxiety and depression on the swallowing process among patients with neurological disorders and head and neck neoplasia: systemic review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s41983-023-00674-yNational Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: the fear of eating.Children’s Hospital Wisconsin.Choking phobia.Schwemmle C, Jungheim M, Miller S, Kühn D, Ptok M.Medication-induced dysphagia: A review.HNO. 2015;63(7):504-510. doi:10.1007/s00106-015-0015-8UCLA Health.Functional dysphagia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: fear of eating.Veterans Affairs Nutrition and Food Services.Tips for chewing and swallowing problems.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Dysphagia.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Dysphagia.University of California Los Angeles.Functional dysphagia.Cedars-Sinai.Dysphagia.Sahoo S, et al.Choking phobia : an uncommon phobic disorder, treated with behavior therapy.Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry. 2016;28(6):349. doi:10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.216055American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596Taft TH, et al.Esophageal hypervigilance and symptom-specific anxiety in patients.Gastroenterology. 2021;161(4):1133-1144. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.023Khayyat YM, Abdul Wahab RA, Natto NK, et al.Impact of anxiety and depression on the swallowing process among patients with neurological disorders and head and neck neoplasia: systemic review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s41983-023-00674-yNational Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: the fear of eating.Children’s Hospital Wisconsin.Choking phobia.Schwemmle C, Jungheim M, Miller S, Kühn D, Ptok M.Medication-induced dysphagia: A review.HNO. 2015;63(7):504-510. doi:10.1007/s00106-015-0015-8UCLA Health.Functional dysphagia.National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: fear of eating.Veterans Affairs Nutrition and Food Services.Tips for chewing and swallowing problems.
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University of California Los Angeles.Functional dysphagia.
Cedars-Sinai.Dysphagia.
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Taft TH, et al.Esophageal hypervigilance and symptom-specific anxiety in patients.Gastroenterology. 2021;161(4):1133-1144. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.023
Khayyat YM, Abdul Wahab RA, Natto NK, et al.Impact of anxiety and depression on the swallowing process among patients with neurological disorders and head and neck neoplasia: systemic review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2023;59(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s41983-023-00674-y
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National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: the fear of eating.
Children’s Hospital Wisconsin.Choking phobia.
Schwemmle C, Jungheim M, Miller S, Kühn D, Ptok M.Medication-induced dysphagia: A review.HNO. 2015;63(7):504-510. doi:10.1007/s00106-015-0015-8
UCLA Health.Functional dysphagia.
National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders.Phagophobia: fear of eating.
Veterans Affairs Nutrition and Food Services.Tips for chewing and swallowing problems.
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