What it means
Difficult, painful, abnormal or not working properly.
- Dysphagia — difficulty swallowing
- Dyspnoea — difficulty breathing, breathlessness
- Dysuria — pain or burning on passing urine
- Dyspepsia — indigestion
- Dysmenorrhoea — painful periods
- Dyspareunia — pain during sex
Two worth distinguishing: dysphagia is difficulty swallowing; dysphasia is difficulty with language, usually after a stroke. One letter, entirely different problems.
In practice
Throughout clinic letters and referral forms, often as a compressed way of listing symptoms.
Why it matters
Take dysphagia seriously. New, persistent or progressive difficulty swallowing needs urgent assessment — it is a red flag symptom and warrants a two-week referral.
Use the prefix to decode the letter, and ask if a word you do not recognise is being used about you.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026
Ready to see a GP?20 minutes with a GMC-registered doctor. £40, usually same day.
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