Dysphagia Doesn't Have to Be a Hard Pill to Swallow
June 3, 2021Categories: Live Healthy, Prevention
Swallowing is one of the most complicated functions the body performs. It requires using more than 30 nerves and muscles for less than two seconds of activity. Incredibly, the average person swallows over 600 times each day without ever really thinking about it.
Most people have trouble swallowing only when they have a sore throat or a mouthful of food. But nearly 3 million Americans have chronic difficulty with swallowing. It’s a medical condition known as dysphagia, which can happen when your swallow muscles become weak or uncoordinated from age, injury or disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Dysphagia
- Coughing or choking
- Difficulty chewing
- Feeling as if something is stuck in the throat
- Shortness of breath
- A wet or gurgled-sounding voice
In severe cases, trouble swallowing over a long period of time can lead to upper respiratory infections, poor nutrition/hydration and death.
Diagnosing Swallowing Problems
If you show one or more of the signs or symptoms of dysphagia above, your doctor may order a swallow test. A speech-language pathologist, or SLP, typically performs the swallow test. SLPs are trained to treat people who have trouble swallowing.
During your visit, the SLP discusses your symptoms, examines your swallow muscles and observes your ability to swallow various substances. These factors help determine your risk for dysphagia and aspiration. Aspiration can occur when swallowing allows food or liquid to enter the lungs. Determining this risk is important because aspiration increases the likelihood of pneumonia and other complications.
Swallow Therapy for Dysphagia
If your swallow test indicates risk for dysphagia, your doctor may order swallow therapy. Swallow therapy can be conducted on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on your needs.
During therapy, your SLP may:
- Provide strategies for helping you swallow, which include taking smaller bites or slowing down when eating
- Recommend adding thickened liquids to your diet to help prevent liquids from entering the airway
- Show you exercises that can help strengthen your swallowing muscles
The speech-language pathologists at North Kansas City Hospital are trained in VitalStim® therapy and barium swallow studies (watch video).
3 Simple Solutions to Common Swallowing Problems
Not everyone who has difficulty swallowing needs therapy. Below are three common swallowing challenges and their simple solutions.
- Acid reflux. To relieve acid reflux, be mindful of what you eat. Fried, fatty, spicy and acidic foods; high-fat dairy products; alcohol and caffeine are all common acid reflux triggers. After eating, remain sitting up for at least one hour. At night, use a wedge pillow to raise your torso.
- Difficulty swallowing pills. Try putting the whole pill in a teaspoon of applesauce or pudding. The food will help you swallow the pill easier than guzzling water. Never tilt your head back to swallow a pill. Tilting your head back can cause the pill to go directly into your airway.
- Excessive chewing. Choose softer foods. Avoid dry, sticky, or crunchy foods. As a rule of thumb, foods like meat, bread and raw vegetables are typically more challenging to chew and swallow and should be eaten with caution.
Our speech-language pathologists provide a wide range of swallow, voice and cognitive therapies. Explore our services or call 816.691.1795. We are happy to answer questions or help with a doctor’s referral.
