Patients with dysphagia – difficulty swallowing – often experience a sensation of food getting stuck in their throat, chest or behind the breastbone (sternum). Choking or coughing while eating can also occur. If a patient shows signs of choking and difficulty breathing, the Heimlich maneuver (a life-saving technique) should be performed immediately to prevent asphyxiation (suffocation).

Dysphagia can be accompanied by a variety of additional symptoms. Accompanying symptoms may provide some clues about its cause. Symptoms may include:

• Odynophagia (pain with swallowing)
  
  
• Globus sensation (the sensation of having a lump in the throat)
  
  
• Persistent chest pain
  
  
• Heartburn
  
  
• Reflux (backflow of food particles and stomach acid into the throat)
  
  
• Aspiration of food and liquids (passing these substances into the airway passages and lungs instead of the esophagus)
  
  
• Abdominal pain
  
  
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing
  
  
• Sore throat
  
  
• Hoarseness
  
  
• Sialorrhea (excessive production of saliva) or dry mouth
  
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
  
• Halitosis (bad breath) or sour taste in the mouth
  
  
• Unexplained weight loss
  
  
• Fatigue
  
  
• Fever or chills
  
  
• Gastrointestinal bleeding