WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE . . .

...between dyspepsia and dysphagia?

DYSPEPSIA and dysphagia are both related to eating.

Dyspepsia is the medical term for indigestion. Sufferers experience pain and discomfort in the food pipe and stomach, usually after eating. Often, this is because acids in the stomach and food juices have travelled back up the food pipe towards the throat, causing a burning sensation. Other symptoms include bloating, belching and nausea. Mostly, it results from eating a large meal and does not need treatment.

Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing. Some sufferers feel a general tightening in their throat; others find they cough or choke while eating. There are many causes, including conditions affecting the muscles, allergies, a stroke and, in rare cases, mouth, throat or oesophageal cancer.