Dysphagia

Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing. It can involve preparation and transfer of material in the mouth, passage through the pharynx or movement down the oesophagus. These stages require coordinated muscle activity, sensation and neural control. Dysphagia names a functional difficulty rather than one unique disease or anatomical lesion. ^[ref]

Swallowing also protects the airway: food transport and temporary closure of the breathing passage must be coordinated. A delay in initiating the response and a mechanical obstruction can both disrupt swallowing through different mechanisms. Difficulty moving a bolus, pain during swallowing and entry into the airway are related observations but should not be treated as identical definitions.