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Swallowing Disorders

Many people suffer from dysphagia - or difficulty swallowing. Dysphagia is a swallowing impairment that can encompass the oral cavity, pharyngeal cavity, or esophageal tract. This can be common after a stroke or brain injury, a symptom of a progressive neurologic condition, or from a specific injury to the muscles. Additionally, many people with other chronic conditions report difficulty swallowing, including afflictions of the cardiopulmonary system, gastrointestinal systems, or general debility associated with other short and long term illnesses. 

When someone has difficulty swallowing, the primary concern is that they may be aspirating. Aspiration is when material - including the food or liquid we attempt to swallow, secretions/saliva from our mouth, and/or gastric contents - enter the lungs. Everyone aspirates now and then, but when it’s happening repeatedly or chronically, or when you have certain underlying factors that make you more susceptible, you are at risk for developing aspiration pneumonia, a very serious form of pneumonia that can cause long term health problems, and in some cases, death. Other problems may result from difficulty swallowing, such as dehydration or malnutrition. 

Many people have other kinds of difficulty swallowing as well. Some people have difficulty chewing their food for various reasons - which can lead to choking, or overt airway obstruction. Others have the sensation of something chronically sticking in their throat or chest, copious belching, or chronic regurgitation. Some patients have no mechanical issues, but feel significant pain from swallowing. 

Luckily, swallowing therapy with a speech language pathologist (SLP) is an effective intervention that has helped millions of patients rehabilitate their swallowing function. Through approaches like diet modification (thickening liquids to slow down the transit time, or chopping or grinding food to make it easier to chew), swallowing exercises, behavioral maneuvers to alter head/neck positioning, or respiratory work, swallowing can be safer, easier, less painful, and more efficient. Speech therapists are considered the experts in management of swallowing problems. Whether you’re looking for help following your stroke, have had long term dysphagia from a chronic condition, developed dysphagia from head or neck cancer, or are dependent on a feeding tube and looking to go back to oral feeding, an experienced SLP can help. 

For patients in Saratoga Springs NY or surrounding areas, or those in the state of NY interested in exploring teletherapy for swallowing intervention, contact us now using the button below. Or check out our blog on dysphagia diets for more information about diet texture and liquid modification for swallowing disorders.