What is functional dysphagia and how is it managed?

• A. Dysphagia without an identifiable organic cause; managed with swallowing therapy, compensatory strategies, and addressing functional factors like anxiety.
• B. Dysphagia due to a structural lesion; managed with surgery.
• C. Dysphagia due to infection; managed with antibiotics.
• D. Dysphagia due to cancer; managed with chemotherapy.

Answer: (A)

Functional dysphagia is difficulty swallowing when no structural or medical cause is found after evaluation. It arises from functional factors such as impaired swallow coordination or sensory modulation and is often linked with anxiety or stress. Management focuses on rehabilitation and strategies to optimize swallowing and reduce symptoms: targeted therapy with a speech-language pathologist to improve bolus control and propulsion; compensatory techniques like chin-tuck or head-turn to protect the airway and aid passage; postural adjustments; diet modification to make swallowing safer; and addressing anxiety or other functional contributors through education and behavioral approaches. The other scenarios describe problems with a physical lesion, infection, or cancer, which require surgical, antibiotic, or oncologic treatments, rather than the rehab-based, functional approach used for functional dysphagia.