If you have had a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological damage such as cerebral palsy, you may have dysphagia. Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder, which means that something about how you bite, chew, or swallow food is not working properly. This can allow food to go down the airway into the lungs instead of into the stomach, which could lead to pneumonia. Some signs and symptoms of dysphagia could be coughing or eyes watering while eating, voice sounding “gurgly” while eating, or spiking a fever after eating.
Dysphagia can improve with therapy. Some common treatments include exercises to strengthen the muscles used during swallowing, using techniques during swallows to make them safer, or adjusting the patient’s diet so that it is safer to eat and less likely to go into the airway.
Therapy begins with an evaluation with your speech-language pathologist. He or she will usually ask you questions about your swallowing, do an oral-facial exam, and do what is called a bedside or clinical swallow evaluation by watching you to eat or drink a few foods. Depending on the results, they may refer you for a more in depth swallow study so that they can see how your mouth, tongue, and larynx function during a swallow.
From there, they will determine the appropriate intervention and begin working with you to improve your swallow. The goal of dysphagia treatment is always the least restrictive diet possible while still maintaining safety.
If you or a loved one is in need of physical, occupational, or speech therapy call today to set up your FREE 30 minute screening.
Written by: Kerry Symes, SLP
