07/01/2023
I would be remiss if I let June pass us by without acknowledging Dysphagia Awareness Month. So...What is Dysphagia and what do we do about it?
Quite simply, dysphagia means "difficulty swallowing." This is wide-ranging and can include anything from difficulty chewing or moving the food around your mouth, to difficulty swallowing the food through your throat and can sometimes lead to food or liquids "going down the wrong pipe."
Signs of Dysphagia Include:
- coughing when eating/drinking
- recurring pneumonia or chest infections
- unexplained chronic cough
- a voice that sounds wet or gurgly after you eat or drink
- weight loss or dehydration from not being able to eat/drink enough
- sensation of foods sticking in the throat when eating
A speech-language pathologist can be influential in working to evaluate and treat swallowing difficulties
This may include working to strengthen muscles that are weak, to teach compensatory strategies for difficulties with swallowing, to recommend modifications to diet consistencies or some combination of these therapies.
