4. Smoking is a less common cause of dysphagia.
It is not good to smoke, but most people who smoke are able to keep their food down without any problem. When smoking does cause dysphagia, it will feel as if food is stuck in your chest. You will cough and gag a lot when you eat, which should cause concern for you.
It is either the smoking or dysphagia causing the problem. The more you cough, the more pain will be felt in the chest area. If the doctor diagnoses you with dysphasia, you will need to quit smoking. It is difficult to quit cold turkey, so the doctor will put you on a smoking program to help you quit.
You should start to notice that your breathing is better and you’re able to keep your food down. The chest pain that you felt in the past, will go away. There should be no feeling of food lodged in the chest area.