There are several reasons you may experience difficulty swallowing. Thankfully, there are exercises and therapies which can help by strengthening the muscles responsible for swallowing, this includes the tongue, cheeks and lips.

Swallowing difficulties (known as dysphagia) fall into distinct categories based on the disrupted part of the swallowing process. This happens because swallowing is a very complex task and involves many structures of the body and physiological processes.

Difficulty swallowing may present in several different ways, including:

• Feeling like there’s a lump in your throat or chest
• Choking and coughing while you’re trying to swallow
• Experiencing pain when swallowing
• Getting food stuck in your throat