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Phagophobia
 
 
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Phagophobia is a psychogenic dysphagia
Dysphagia

Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, the term is sometimes used as a condition in its own right....
, a fear of swallowing
Swallowing

"Gulp" redirects here. For other uses, see Gulp .Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, into the esophagus, with the shutting of the epiglottis....
. It is expressed in various swallowing complaints without any apparent physical reason detectable by physical inspection and laboratory analyses. An obsolete term for this phobia is choking phobia, but it was suggested that the latter term is confusing and it is necessary to distinguish the fear of swallowing (i.e., of the propulsion of bolus
Bolus (digestion)

In digestion, a bolus is a mass of food that has been Mastication and swallowed. Once a bolus reaches the stomach, digestion begins.* Compare to chyme....
) from fear of choking (fear of aspiration).

Phagophobia is classified as a specific phobia
Specific phobia

A specific phobia is a generic term for any kind of anxiety disorder that amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to specific objects or situations....
 and according to DSM-IV classification it belongs to the category of "other phobias".






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Phagophobia is a psychogenic dysphagia
Dysphagia

Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, the term is sometimes used as a condition in its own right....
, a fear of swallowing
Swallowing

"Gulp" redirects here. For other uses, see Gulp .Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, into the esophagus, with the shutting of the epiglottis....
. It is expressed in various swallowing complaints without any apparent physical reason detectable by physical inspection and laboratory analyses. An obsolete term for this phobia is choking phobia, but it was suggested that the latter term is confusing and it is necessary to distinguish the fear of swallowing (i.e., of the propulsion of bolus
Bolus (digestion)

In digestion, a bolus is a mass of food that has been Mastication and swallowed. Once a bolus reaches the stomach, digestion begins.* Compare to chyme....
) from fear of choking (fear of aspiration).

Phagophobia is classified as a specific phobia
Specific phobia

A specific phobia is a generic term for any kind of anxiety disorder that amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to specific objects or situations....
 and according to DSM-IV classification it belongs to the category of "other phobias". Phagophobia may lead to (and be confused with) fear of eating, and the subsequent malnutrition
Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or inadequate diet and nutrition.According to the World Health Organization, hunger and malnutrition are the single gravest threats to the world's public health and malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality, present in half of all cases....
 and weight loss
Weight loss

Weight loss, in the context of medicine or health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body weight, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue....
. In milder cases a phagophobe eats only soft and liquid foods.

See also


  • Odynophagia
    Odynophagia

    Odynophagia is painful swallowing, in the mouth or esophagus. It can occur with or without dysphagia, or difficult swallowing.Odynophagia often results in weight loss....