Swallowing difficulties/Dysphagia/Reflux symptoms

The head and neck region contains the upper part of the digestive tract - the pharynx. Problems here can result in difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).  Other common symptoms from problems in this region include: throat pain, persistent cough, feeling of something in throat, hoarseness, constant throat clearing, etc.  A lot of these symptoms can be linked to a condition called laryngopharyngeal reflux which is thought to be the result of reflux from the stomach to the level of the voicebox. When persistent these symptoms can also be a feature of some head and neck cancers and therefore warrant careful assessment. 

 Through clinical history and examination (including flexible endoscopy) it is usually possible to identify the cause of these symptoms.  Occasionally further investigations such as CT scans and barium swallow tests may be required.