A Simple Fix for a Scary Problem

Alyssa Madera was eating a meal about a year and a half ago when suddenly it felt like her food was stuck in the middle of her throat. It wouldn’t go down, no matter how hard she tried swallowing. Instead, it came back up.

The problem was happening randomly, she said. Then it started happening all the time. No matter what she ate, how much she chewed it, the food would stick in her esophagus until she vomited. She lost a dramatic amount of weight over a few months. The then-23-year-old had only about 95 pounds on her 5-foot, 9-inch frame.

It turned out Alyssa had dysphagia, a condition in which a person has difficulty swallowing food or liquid. It can be painful, and in severe cases, swallowing becomes impossible. Because swallowing involves many muscles and nerves, any condition that weakens or damages those muscles and nerves can cause dysphagia. It is more common in older adults.

Click here to learn more about this condition, and how it can be fixed.