Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentComplicationsDiagnosisWhen to See a ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Complications
Diagnosis
When to See a Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Painful swallowing can feel like discomfort or pain or may feel like a burning or squeezing sensation. It may be felt anywhere from the neck to the breastbone.Pain in the throat or chest duringswallowingis calledodynophagia.
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Symptoms of Painful Swallowing
In addition to pain or discomfort while swallowing, a person with odynophagia may also experience:
Painful swallowing often feels like a sensation of squeezing or burning. It may be felt high in the neck or down lower behind the breastbone.
Medical Emergencies
Sudden symptoms of difficulty swallowing can indicate a condition that is a medical emergency, requiring calling 911 or getting immediate transport to an emergency room. These include:
Causes of Painful Swallowing
Infections, such as:
Conditions affecting the mouth, throat, oresophagus, such as:
Damage to the mouth, esophagus, or throat, such as:
What Medications Can Cause Painful Swallowing
Some medications may cause ulcers in theesophagus, including:
How to Treat Painful Swallowing
Ways to help relieve painful swallowing symptoms include:
Eating Tips for Painful Swallowing
Changes you can make to your diet and habits to make eating with painful swallowing easier include:
If painful swallowing is causing you to eat less and lose weight, try these tactics:
Complications Associated With Painful Swallowing
In addition to complications from the cause of the painful swallowing, ongoing pain while swallowing can lead to:
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Painful Swallowing?
If you are experiencing painful swallowing, a healthcare provider will first do a physical examination and ask some questions about your symptoms and medical history. They may ask about the following:
If your healthcare provider feels it’s necessary, they may run tests such as:
When to See a Healthcare Provider Painful Swallowing
Can Painful Swallowing Be a Sign of Cancer?
The most commonsymptoms of esophageal cancerinclude:
Other symptoms of esophageal cancer include:
Summary
Painful swallowing is a symptom that can have many different causes, including infection, medical conditions such asGERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), and damage from objects stuck in the throat.
Painful swallowing can be felt anywhere from the neck to the breastbone. It may feel like pain, discomfort, burning, or a squeezing sensation.
Yes. A sore throat and/or painful swallowing can be a symptom of COVID-19. As with other COVID symptoms, if you are experiencing a sore throat and/or painful swallowing, it’s a good idea to take a COVID test.Learn MoreSore Throat as a COVID Symptom
Yes. A sore throat and/or painful swallowing can be a symptom of COVID-19. As with other COVID symptoms, if you are experiencing a sore throat and/or painful swallowing, it’s a good idea to take a COVID test.
Learn MoreSore Throat as a COVID Symptom
Changing what and how you eat can help, such as eating softer foods and chewing thoroughly. You can take pain relievers such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen). Throat lozenges may help, and there are both prescription and over-the-counter numbing sprays and oral solutions which may provide temporary relief.Be careful eating when using numbing agents as these products can increase the risk of choking, and you may not feel that something is too hot or cold. Numbing agents can also have side effects. Check with a healthcare provider or pharmacist before using them.Learn MoreHow a Sore Throat Is Treated
Changing what and how you eat can help, such as eating softer foods and chewing thoroughly. You can take pain relievers such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen). Throat lozenges may help, and there are both prescription and over-the-counter numbing sprays and oral solutions which may provide temporary relief.Be careful eating when using numbing agents as these products can increase the risk of choking, and you may not feel that something is too hot or cold. Numbing agents can also have side effects. Check with a healthcare provider or pharmacist before using them.
Changing what and how you eat can help, such as eating softer foods and chewing thoroughly. You can take pain relievers such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen). Throat lozenges may help, and there are both prescription and over-the-counter numbing sprays and oral solutions which may provide temporary relief.
Be careful eating when using numbing agents as these products can increase the risk of choking, and you may not feel that something is too hot or cold. Numbing agents can also have side effects. Check with a healthcare provider or pharmacist before using them.
Learn MoreHow a Sore Throat Is Treated
Learn MoreCauses of Throat Pain and Treatment Options
17 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.Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Painful swallowing.Queensland Health.Painful eating and swallowing.Mount Sinai.Painful swallowing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke signs and symptoms.University of Florida Health.Painful swallowing.Nemours KidsHealth.Cytomegalovirus (CMV).The Oral Cancer Foundation.Candida infection.Nemours KidsHealth.Tonsillitis.Nemours TeensHealth.Peritonsillar abscess.Nemours KidsHealth.What is an ear infection?Cedars-Sinai.Esophagitis.Cedars-Sinai.Nutcracker esophagus.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ulcers.healthdirect.Laryngitis.MyHealth Alberta.Swallowed object in throat or esophagus: care instructions.Piersiala K, Kakabas L, Bruckova A, Starkhammar M, Cardell LO.Acute odynophagia: a new symptom of COVID‐19 during the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant wave in Sweden.J Intern Med. 2022;292(1):154-161. doi:10.1111/joim.13470Cancer Research UK.Symptoms of oesophageal cancer.
17 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.Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Painful swallowing.Queensland Health.Painful eating and swallowing.Mount Sinai.Painful swallowing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke signs and symptoms.University of Florida Health.Painful swallowing.Nemours KidsHealth.Cytomegalovirus (CMV).The Oral Cancer Foundation.Candida infection.Nemours KidsHealth.Tonsillitis.Nemours TeensHealth.Peritonsillar abscess.Nemours KidsHealth.What is an ear infection?Cedars-Sinai.Esophagitis.Cedars-Sinai.Nutcracker esophagus.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ulcers.healthdirect.Laryngitis.MyHealth Alberta.Swallowed object in throat or esophagus: care instructions.Piersiala K, Kakabas L, Bruckova A, Starkhammar M, Cardell LO.Acute odynophagia: a new symptom of COVID‐19 during the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant wave in Sweden.J Intern Med. 2022;292(1):154-161. doi:10.1111/joim.13470Cancer Research UK.Symptoms of oesophageal cancer.
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.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Painful swallowing.Queensland Health.Painful eating and swallowing.Mount Sinai.Painful swallowing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke signs and symptoms.University of Florida Health.Painful swallowing.Nemours KidsHealth.Cytomegalovirus (CMV).The Oral Cancer Foundation.Candida infection.Nemours KidsHealth.Tonsillitis.Nemours TeensHealth.Peritonsillar abscess.Nemours KidsHealth.What is an ear infection?Cedars-Sinai.Esophagitis.Cedars-Sinai.Nutcracker esophagus.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ulcers.healthdirect.Laryngitis.MyHealth Alberta.Swallowed object in throat or esophagus: care instructions.Piersiala K, Kakabas L, Bruckova A, Starkhammar M, Cardell LO.Acute odynophagia: a new symptom of COVID‐19 during the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant wave in Sweden.J Intern Med. 2022;292(1):154-161. doi:10.1111/joim.13470Cancer Research UK.Symptoms of oesophageal cancer.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Painful swallowing.
Queensland Health.Painful eating and swallowing.
Mount Sinai.Painful swallowing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke signs and symptoms.
University of Florida Health.Painful swallowing.
Nemours KidsHealth.Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
The Oral Cancer Foundation.Candida infection.
Nemours KidsHealth.Tonsillitis.
Nemours TeensHealth.Peritonsillar abscess.
Nemours KidsHealth.What is an ear infection?
Cedars-Sinai.Esophagitis.
Cedars-Sinai.Nutcracker esophagus.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Ulcers.
healthdirect.Laryngitis.
MyHealth Alberta.Swallowed object in throat or esophagus: care instructions.
Piersiala K, Kakabas L, Bruckova A, Starkhammar M, Cardell LO.Acute odynophagia: a new symptom of COVID‐19 during the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant wave in Sweden.J Intern Med. 2022;292(1):154-161. doi:10.1111/joim.13470
Cancer Research UK.Symptoms of oesophageal cancer.
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