Which suffix refers to difficulty with eating or swallowing?

The suffix that refers to difficulty with eating or swallowing is "-phagia." This suffix is derived from the Greek word "phagein," which means "to eat" or "to swallow." When used in medical terminology, it often appears in terms that describe various conditions related to the act of eating or swallowing. For instance, "dysphagia" specifically refers to difficulty swallowing, emphasizing the challenges a person may experience when trying to consume food or liquids.

In contrast, the other suffixes pertain to different medical concepts: "-plegia" refers to paralysis (as in hemiplegia, which indicates paralysis of one side of the body), "-sepsis" denotes a systemic response to infection (such as in septicemia), and "-emia" relates to blood conditions (like anemia, which signifies a deficiency of red blood cells). Understanding these distinctions is crucial for grasping how different suffixes shape the meanings of medical terms.