Imagine you've just seen your doctor because you're having trouble swallowing. Sometimes, food seems to get stuck going down or it hurts. Your doctor listens to the details carefully and then tells you what he thinks.
"I'm not sure yet why you have dysphagia. But we can usually figure it out, so I'm going to order a couple of tests."
Wait a minute. Who said anything about dysphagia? It sure sounds medical. But, is it bad? Should you be worried?
Dysphagia is just "medical-speak" for trouble swallowing. Your doctor forgot that you may have no idea what he is saying.
The word dysphagia comes from the Greek"dys," meaning abnormal or bad, and "phagia," which refers to eating. Your doctor would say you had dysphagia if you described foods or drinks sticking in your throat. But if you had sores in your mouth, ill-fitting dentures or indigestion, the term dysphagia would not be used, even though each of these problems might make it difficult to eat.
Common "Phagia" Terms You May Hear
The act of swallowing requires a well-coordinated series of events within the mouth, esophagus and stomach. When your doctor is describing something abnormal related to swallowing or eating, he may call it:
The "phagia" suffix is used in several non-medical contexts. For example:
Now you know more than you'll ever need to know about dysphagia and related terms. If your doctor asks you if you have any problems eating, resist the temptation to use your newly acquired medical fluency. I think it's best for doctors and patients to use plain language to communicate. But, sometimes we doctors have to be reminded.
Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is associate physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. He has been a practicing rheumatologist for over 20 years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is an active teacher in the Internal Medicine Residency Program, serving as the Robinson Firm Chief. He is also a teacher in the Rheumatology Fellowship Program.
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