Dysphagia is a distressing symptom and indicates a delay in the passage of solids or liquids from the mouth to the stomach. It is sometimes difficult to understand why patients may take so long to consult their doctor for advice, but whenever patients present a diagnosis should be urgently sought Dysphagia should be distinguished from odynophagia, which is discomfort or pain on swallowing hot or cold liquids and, occasionally, alcohol. In clinical practice it is useful to separate those causes that predominantly affect the pharynx and proximal oesophagus (high dysphagia) and those mostly affecting the oesophageal body and oesophagogastric junction (low dysphagia).
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