Symptoms

Symptoms of Esophageal Diverticula

Symptoms of an esophageal diverticulum can range from very mild to severe. They include:

• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• Odynophagia (pain with swallowing)
• Chest pain
• Chronic cough
• A feeling of food stuck in the throat
• Heartburn
• Regurgitation (the return of partially digested food from the stomach to the mouth), especially when bending over or lying down
• Bad breath
• Aspiration pneumonia

Symptoms generally worsen over time as the diverticulum continues to stretch. In some cases, the chronic irritation of the esophagus can lead to a greater risk of developing esophageal cancer.