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| Understanding Dysphagia | | Print | |
Dysphagia, or difficulties swallowing, can be a serious disorder. People with dysphagia may be unable to swallow various consistencies of food or liquids, while others are unable to swallow at all. People with dysphagia may have a problem consuming enough calories and may lose dangerous amounts of weight. Therefore, dysphagia should be addressed as soon as possible to prevent malnutrition or other serious threats to a person's health.What Causes Dysphagia?There are a number of causes of dysphagia. The most common cause is stroke or other head injury, but dysphagia can occur with some illnesses, such as Parkinson's or cerebral palsy. Some cancer treatments may affect the ability to swallow as well.Is Treatment Available?Treatment for swallowing disorders depends on the underlying cause. A doctor will use several methods of testing to uncover the cause and may be able to treat dysphagia with medication or surgery. If those methods don't alleviate the problem, the doctor may recommend the patient see a speech-language pathologist, even if speech is not impaired. The speech therapist will administer further testing to develop a treatment plan based on the patient's specific impairment.A speech therapist will look for weak muscles in the mouth, throat, or tongue and address any coordination issues that appear to affect the swallowing mechanism. The therapist may use exercises to strengthen the swallowing muscles or teach the patient new ways to swallow. Why Not Just Leave It Alone?Serious issues can arise if dysphagia is not treated promptly. Apart from the inability to maintain a healthy weight, patients with dysphagia may also get food or liquid trapped in the pharynx, or windpipe, where bacteria can grow and cause pneumonia. Other times, the weakened esophagus may develop a pocket that traps food and prohibits the passage of other food or liquid. The trapped food may then slip into the pharynx during sleep and cause infection.Most cases of dysphagia can be treated and improved when addressed quickly. I can help - I am a Speech Therapist providing In-Home Speech Therapy services throughout the Denver, Colorado area. Just give me a call at 303-949-0351 or send me an email. |