In a definition essay, you explain the meaning of a certain term by giving a detailed description of it, and support your definition with clear examples or facts. Such explanations are needed if a term is special, abstract, disputed or does not have a common meaning.
Dysphagia may be caused by traumatic injuries to the head, neck, or chest and result from accidents or iatrogenic causes. In the latter category, both planned and inadvertent injuries to cranial nerves are common. Many accident victims have involvement of multiple sites.
Symptoms can vary depending on the location of the abnormality causing dysphagia. When the patient has oropharyngeal dysphagia from a neuromuscular cause, muscles involved in chewing and in pushing food to the back of the throat may also be involved.