Swallowing problems, causes and solutions

Swallowing difficulties, diagnostics and solutions is the issue of the day. If you think you may have dysphagia, there are certain symptoms that may be present along with difficulty swallowing. They include: drooling, a hoarse voice, feeling that something is lodged in the throat, regurgitation, unexpected weight loss, heartburn, coughing or choking when swallowing, pain when swallowing, difficulty chewing solid foods. These sensations may cause a person to avoid eating, skip meals, or lose their appetite. In severe cases, you may be admitted to the hospital and given food through a feeding tube. This special tube goes right into the stomach and bypasses the esophagus. Modified diets may also be necessary until the swallowing difficulty improves. This prevents dehydration and malnutrition.

The primary goals of dysphagia intervention are to safely support adequate nutrition and hydration and return to safe and efficient oral intake (including incorporating the patient’s dietary preferences and consulting with family members/caregivers to ensure that the patient’s daily living activities are being considered); determine the optimum feeding methods/technique to maximize swallowing safety and feeding efficiency; minimize the risk of pulmonary complications; reduce patient and caregiver burden while maximizing the patient’s quality of life and develop treatment plans to improve safety and efficiency of the swallow. See more info at Swallowing disorders.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia involves difficulty moving food to the back of the mouth and starting the swallowing process. This type of dysphagia can result from various nerve or brain disorders such as stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, cancer of the neck or throat, a blow to the brain or neck, or even dental disorders. Depending on the cause, symptoms may include drooling, choking, coughing during or after meals, pocketing of food between the teeth and cheeks, gurgly voice quality, inability to suck from a straw, nasal regurgitation (food backing into the nasal passage), chronic respiratory infection, or weight loss. Liquids are usually more of a problem in oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Dysphagia among hospitalized patients (particularly the elderly) not only lengthens hospital stays and increases the risk of dying, but also carries significant economic burdens. Research shows that hospital and rehab stays among patients with difficulty swallowing were almost double that of patients without dysphagia – with an estimated cost per year topping $547 billion (Altman K, et al., 2010). We would like to help reduce some of these costs by establishing programs or procedures for your facility that works best for your patients AND your team. Discover additional details on dysphagiainmotion.com.