Hurts to Swallow
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Pain when swallowing
Hard to eat
Difficult to swallow food because of pain
Throat feels burnt when I drink
About the Symptom
Pain while swallowing (odynophagia) most often occurs when there is inflammation of the throat or surrounding structures, including inflammation of the pharynx or esophagus. It can also be due to narrowing (strictures) or infection or, less commonly, masses in the throat. It can also be accompanied by actual trouble swallowing also known as dysphagia.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Pain when swallowing
Possible Causes
Generally, Hurts to swallow can be related to:
- Suppurative Lymphadenitis
Lymphadenitis suppurativa is the inflammation and suppuration (pus formation) of lymph nodes in the body.
- Acute Tonsillitis / Pharyngitis
Infection of the tonsils and pharynx (back of the mouth), either by viruses or bacteria.
- Subacute Thyroiditis
Inflammation of the thyroid gland which causes high levels of thyroid hormone in the body. It usually occurs after a viral infection. It presents as pain in the neck because of the swollen and inflamed thyroid gland. Can also have difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, fatigue and fever. It can also go on to cause symptoms of high thyroid hormone such as weight loss, increased bowel movements, palpitations, sweating.
- COVID-19
- Common Cold (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Hurts to swallow may be related to these serious diseases:
- Peritonsillar Abscess / Deep Neck Abscess
A bacterial infection of the areas around the tonsils and deep parts of the neck. Pus accumulates in these areas forming an abscess.
- Esophageal Foreign Body
- Mumps
- Pharyngeal Foreign Body
- Infectious Mononucleosis
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you have a sore throat with pain when swallowing?
- When did you first notice your sore throat?
- How often do you experience a sore throat?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how severe was your sore throat at its worst?
- How is your sore throat now?
Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 13, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Odynophagia - Healthline
https://www.healthline.com/health/odynophagiaOdynophagia - Yale Medicine
https://www.yalemedicine.org/clinical-keywords/odynophagia