7) Difficulty to swallow
There’s an ongoing irritation of the esophagus, which is evidenced by a sore throat in patients with absolutely no respiratory infection. This irritation and inflammation of the upper part of the digestive tube lead to a symptom named odynophagia, which is basically pain upon swallowing, and other called dysphagia, which is trouble swallowing.
Odynophagia is triggered by the irritation of the esophagus and exposed nerve terminals in the affected area constantly sending signals of pain to the brain. Similarly, dysphagia is caused by swelling and inflammation in the area of the throat as well as thickening of the mucosa, which in time causes an alteration in the normal movements of the esophagus.
These two symptoms may seem trivial, but they are not firstly, because they may trigger anorexia (low appetite levels) and impair the nutritional state of the patient. Secondly, because dysphagia and odynophagia may be the hallmark of esophageal cancer, thus, it is important to report these symptoms to your doctor as soon as possible, especially when combined with others on this list.
