Hi there, I am a worried parent of a 2-year-old who has been experiencing difficulty swallowing lately. It all started a few days ago when my child was eating and suddenly choked on a piece of food. Since then, he has been finding it hard to swallow anything, including liquids. I am really concerned about this and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this before or has any ideas of what could be causing it?
I have tried giving him smaller pieces of food, but that doesn't seem to help. He also seems to be coughing a lot more than usual, especially when he tries to swallow something. I have made an appointment to see our pediatrician, but in the meantime, I would appreciate any advice or suggestions on what I can do to help my little one. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

Hello, I'm sorry to hear that your toddler is having difficulty swallowing. It can be a scary and overwhelming experience for both you and your child. I have experienced this with my 4-year-old, and it turned out to be a case of enlarged adenoids. The adenoids are glands located at the back of the nasal cavity and can sometimes become inflamed, causing difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
My child was experiencing a persistent runny nose and had trouble sleeping at night. The difficulty in swallowing was due to the inflammation in the adenoids, which were blocking the airway. We went to see an ENT specialist who diagnosed the condition through X-rays and recommended a course of medication.
The medication helped to alleviate the swelling, and the difficulty in swallowing eventually subsided. However, the ENT recommended a surgery to remove the adenoids as a long-term solution. We decided to go ahead with the surgery, and it was successful. Since then, my child no longer experiences any difficulty in swallowing or breathing.
If you suspect that your toddler's difficulty in swallowing is due to enlarged adenoids, I would recommend consulting with an ENT specialist. The specialist will be able to diagnose the condition and recommend the appropriate course of action. I hope this helps, and I wish your little one a speedy recovery.