Odynophagia refers to a sharp pain felt when swallowing, resulting in a sore throat. Swedish researchers have shown that odynophagia might be a new symptom of the Covid Omicron variant. What are the signs ? The causes ? What treatment to relieve it? Definition and advice.
Acute odynophagia would be a new symptom of Covid-19 according to a study made in Stockholm (Sweden) and published on February 15, 2022. It designates a pain felt when swallowing and sore throat. This disorder, already known to doctors, was brought to light in the boom of the Omicron variant. What are the symptoms ? What causes ? What differences with the dysphagie ? Comment to relieve odynophagia? The answers.
Definition: what is odynophagia?
Odynophagia refers to a pain felt when food passes through the upper digestive tract. It particularly affects the pharynx, connecting the mouth to the esophagus, when food is swallowed (swallowing) as well as the esophagus through which food passes to reach the stomach.
What are the symptoms of odynophagia?
Odynophagia is characterized by pain when swallowing, in other words, the act of swallowing food or one’s own saliva. It also causes a sore throat and possibly fever.
What are the causes of odynophagia?
Odynophagia can be a symptom of various diseases with in the foreground l’angina and pharyngitis, whose local irritation of the back of the throat produces the symptoms. Odynophagia can also be caused by contraction of the Covid-19.
Acute odynophagia has been added to the list of common Covid and Omicron variant symptoms in Sweden.
Is odynophagia a symptom of coronavirus?
Acute odynophagia would be a new covid symptom-19 according to the Swedish study published on February 15, 2022.”Previous variants of SARS-CoV-2 infection primarily affected the lower respiratory tract and were associated with loss of smell and taste in many patients. The Omicron variant appears to primarily affect the upper respiratory tract and cause acute laryngitis without olfactory dysfunction. In some patients, the clinical manifestation is similar to the symptoms ofepiglottitis (a rapidly progressive infection of the epiglottis and surrounding tissues)”, say the Swedish scientists. The researchers observed “cases of patients diagnosed with coronavirus who were referred to the ENT emergency department between January 1 and January 23, 2022 with clinical symptoms such as acute odynophagia, severe sore throat and fever“. In fact, acute odynophagia has been added to the list of common symptoms of Covid and variant Omicron in Sweden. Among the patients analysed:
- 20 cases of odynophagia were identified
- Among them, 15 were fully vaccinated once morest Covid-19
- 4 needed a short hospitalization for their symptoms
- 6 patients showed signs of secondary bacterial infection and were put on antibiotic therapy.
What are the differences between odynophagia and dysphagia?
Odynophagia is a pain felt in the pharynx when swallowing, or at the level of the esophagus during the progression of food. There is no feeling of blockage. Dysphagia qualifies a swallowing disorder. When swallowing, the person feels discomfort or blockage.
Medications used to treat the symptom itself do not have clearly demonstrated efficacy, and it seems that honey is just as effective than these molecules. The treatment of the cause allows the pain to disappear.
Source : “Acute odynophagia – a new symptom of COVID-19 during the variant wave SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Sweden”, J Interne Med. February 15, 2022.
