Swallowing difficulties

Jump to

Pain when eating or swallowing especially in the throat or gullet (oesophagus) is a common presenting problem in people with symptomatic HIV disease.

Causes

More often than not this is due to a Candida infection which results in inflammation and ulceration in the oesophagus and pharynx. Other causes include CMV, herpes simplex virus infection, Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphoma.

What to do

These symptoms need to be discussed with a doctor. If due to a Candida infection then rapid relief can be achieved by treatment with an antifungal drug. Occasionally it may be necessary to carry out a gastroscopy or barium swallow to establish a diagnosis. See Candidiasis in A to Z of illnesses for further information.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.