Best Swallowing Problem Doctor in Dubai – Dr. Muhammad Jabbr

Does food feel like it gets stuck on the way down? Do you cough or choke when you drink water? Trouble swallowing is called dysphagia. If you are looking for a swallowing problem doctor in Dubai, this guide explains what may be going on and how it is checked.

Many swallowing problems begin in the mouth, throat, voice box or neck. These areas are the daily work of Dr. Muhammad Jabbr, a Consultant ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon at Medcare Hospital, Al Safa, with more than 20 years of experience. He sees adults and children, and he is one of the best doctors in Dubai to start with for a difficult swallow.

What Does a Swallowing Problem Feel Like?

Swallowing looks simple, but it is a fast chain of steps. Your tongue pushes food back. Your throat muscles squeeze it down. A small flap closes over your windpipe. Then your food pipe (oesophagus) carries it to the stomach. A problem at any step can cause trouble.

People describe it in different ways:

• Food, often bread, rice or meat, feels like it sticks in the throat or chest.
• You cough, choke or clear your throat during or just after eating.
• Drinks go "the wrong way" or come back up through the nose.
• You need to swallow two or three times for one bite.
• Your voice sounds wet or gurgly after meals.

Some people only notice that they eat less or are losing weight.

Is a Lump Feeling in the Throat the Same as Dysphagia?

Not always. Many people feel a lump, a ball or tightness in the throat, yet they can eat and drink without any trouble. Doctors call this globus. It often feels worse when you swallow saliva and better during a meal.

Globus is usually harmless. It can be linked to tight throat muscles, stress, throat irritation or reflux. Still, if it lasts for weeks, get it checked, as a true swallowing problem can feel similar at first.

At your visit, expect questions like these:

• Does food actually get stuck, or is it only a feeling?
• Is there pain when you swallow?
• Is it on one side, or in the middle?
• Has your voice changed, or have you found a lump in your neck?

Is the Problem in My Throat or My Food Pipe?

Doctors split swallowing problems into two main groups. Timing is a useful clue. Where you feel it is less reliable, as a blockage low in the food pipe can feel as if it is in the throat.

Throat (oropharyngeal) dysphagia

This affects the start of the swallow. You may cough or choke straight away, or food may go into the nose. Common causes include:

• Nerve and muscle conditions, such as a stroke or Parkinson's disease.
• A pouch in the throat wall (Zenker's diverticulum) that traps food and causes bad breath.
• A tight muscle at the top of the food pipe.
• Large tonsils, especially in children.
• Scarring after radiotherapy or surgery to the head and neck.
• Weak vocal cords that do not close well. A voice box specialist can look at this closely.
• Less often, a growth in the throat or voice box.

Food pipe (oesophageal) dysphagia

Here, the swallow starts fine, but a few seconds later food seems to stop, often behind the breastbone. Causes may include a narrowing from long-term acid damage, a ring or web in the food pipe, muscle problems such as achalasia, allergy-type inflammation of the lining (eosinophilic oesophagitis) and, less often, a tumour.

Pressure from the neck

Sometimes the problem is outside the swallowing tube. A large thyroid gland (goitre) or a big thyroid nodule can press on the food pipe. In that case, thyroid surgery may be one option. Now and then, other large neck swellings do the same, and a neck lump assessment helps find out why.

Endoscopic Swallow Test, Barium Swallow and Other Checks

Most people do not need every test. The plan depends on your symptoms.

1. A careful history. Solids, liquids or both? For how long? Any weight loss?
2. Head and neck examination. The doctor checks your mouth, tonsils, tongue movement, neck glands and thyroid.
3. Flexible scope of the throat. A thin, soft camera passes through the nose, often after a numbing spray. It shows the back of the tongue, the throat and the vocal cords. It takes a few minutes and you stay awake.
4. Endoscopic swallow test (FEES). With the same thin camera in place, you swallow small amounts of coloured food and drink. The doctor watches whether food stays in the right path or slips towards the airway. It can help show which textures are safer for you. It does not show the food pipe lower down.
5. Barium swallow. You drink a white liquid that shows up on X-ray. Live images follow it from the mouth down the food pipe. It is good at showing pouches, narrowing and how the muscles squeeze.
6. Other tests if needed. These may include a neck ultrasound, a CT scan, a referral for an upper endoscopy of the food pipe and stomach, or a pressure test of the food pipe muscles.

Which Swallowing Symptoms Should Not Wait?

Many causes of swallowing trouble are not serious. Still, new trouble swallowing in an adult should always be checked. See a doctor within days, not weeks, if you notice:

• Weight loss you cannot explain.
• Pain when you swallow that does not settle.
• Trouble that is getting worse, moving from solids to soft food to liquids.
• A hoarse voice lasting more than three weeks.
• A lump in the neck lasting more than three weeks in an adult.
• Blood in your saliva or when you cough.
• Repeated chest infections, which can mean food is going into the lungs.

Food that is stuck fast is an emergency. If you are drooling or spitting out saliva because it will not go down, go to an emergency department now. Do the same if breathing becomes hard, or if a child may have swallowed a button battery, a coin or a magnet.

These signs do not always mean cancer, but they should be checked early. If a growth is found in the throat, voice box or neck, Dr. Muhammad Jabbr also performs head and neck cancer surgery and can plan the next steps with you.

Treatment Options, From Eating Tips to Surgery

Treatment depends on the cause. Options may include:

• Simple eating changes. Smaller bites, chewing well, sitting upright and taking sips between mouthfuls.
• Changing food textures. Thicker drinks or softer foods, chosen after a swallow test, can make swallowing safer while the cause is treated.
• Swallowing therapy. A speech and swallowing therapist can teach exercises and safe head positions.
• Medicines. These may be used when irritation, swelling or allergy plays a part.
• Stretching a narrowing. A tight area may be gently widened during an endoscopy.
• Surgery. This may be advised for a throat pouch, a tight upper food-pipe muscle, very large tonsils, a big thyroid or a growth.

Results differ from person to person, and your doctor will explain what to expect.

Choosing a Swallowing Problem Doctor in Dubai

An ENT and head and neck surgeon can check the mouth, throat, voice box and neck in one visit, and arrange food-pipe tests when needed. Here is what Dr. Muhammad Jabbr brings:

• Training: MD, MS, DOHNS (England), European Board ORL-HNS and Arab Board ORL-HNS.
• Experience: more than 20 years in ENT and more than 3,000 ENT procedures.
• Range: he treats throat, voice, thyroid and neck conditions in adults and children.
• Patient trust: a 4.9 Google rating from 406 reviews.

He works at the ENT Department of Medcare Hospital, Al Safa, on Hadiqa Street, Al Safa 1, Dubai.

Book a Swallowing Assessment

If eating has become hard work, you can book online with Dr. Muhammad Jabbr or call +971 52 751 7811.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Swallowing should feel easy and safe. If food sticks or drinks make you cough, get a clear diagnosis first. Many causes show up on a simple scope or swallow test. If you have weight loss, pain or food that truly sticks, get checked soon.