Odynophagia is not a serious disorder or rare medical condition as you imagine, but it is the term used for describing the condition of pain that occurs during swallowing. Pain can occur in any part of the mouth, throat or in the tube that connects the oral cavity and the stomach. Pain during swallowing can be caused due to many conditions like infection in the throat or mouth or due to presence of any small objects in the throat or due to painful sores or ulcers in the throat. It can be treated with suitable medications after diagnosing the cause of the problem.
Odynophagia Symptoms :
The symptoms of odynophagia differ according to the cause of the problem. Presence of painful ulcers or sores in the throat or mouth can cause pain while swallowing. If the underlying cause is related with the lungs it can cause dyspnea (difficulty in breathing) with painful swallowing. Pain during swallowing can also be caused by acid reflex disease which is accompanied by signs like chest burn, frequent burping, and chest pain. It may also cause symptoms like coughing and wheezing while eating anything.
For some people symptoms of odynophagia gets worse during morning and get better during the course of the day. Severe throat problems like ulcer or tumor can cause change in voice also. The person would like feel like squeezing pain in the throat while eating or drinking anything if tumors are present in the throat. Same condition can also be caused due to severe infections.