Possible esophagus tearing?

Dear Ask The Doctor: Approx 40 hours ago I was eating french fries. I didn't chew enough and as I swallowed I had a terribly "Painful" swallow. The type where you can feel the food go down. I'm a bit anxious and overthink things and I'm worried about the chances of cutting my esophagus. Since the incident my esophagus hasn't been in pain (I suppose what I would call the strip from my stomach, inbetween my left and right pecs have no pain). The back of my throat is sore and feels somewhat dry, however I'm coming off of a cold. I have no family doctor and our hospitals are overcrowded as it is so it seems foolish to go in. What are some symptoms I should look out for? Areas of pain? I'm also concerned about possible infection. I've been avoiding eating out of fear I may make it worse, if there is an issue. Eating small meals of speghetti and banana that I can chew into a near liquid.

Dear Stu: Esophageal perforations, tears and hematomas usually result from traumatic injury to the oesophagus following following instrumentation, such as after gastric lavage or upper GI endoscopy, or excessive vomiting. It is unlikely that swallowing french fries would cause an esophageal perforation. Symptoms of esophageal rupture will include excruciating pain behind the chest and upper abdominal pain associated with difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate and shock. Your esophageal laceration should heals spontaneously within several days and not additional treatment is required.