Swallowing difficulties, known medically as dysphagia, can significantly impact a person’s ability to eat, drink, and take medication.
Swallowing is a complex process that involves many muscles and nerves. There are three phases of swallowing including the oral phase, pharyngeal phase and the oesophageal phase.
Speech pathologists are trained in assessing the oral and pharyngeal phases of the swallow. If a person is experiencing difficulties with oesophageal phase of their swallow (including reflux, dysmotility or hiatal hernia), they may be referred to their medical team (GP and/or Gastroenterologist) for further investigation and management.
In addition to the three phases listed above, we also consider the ‘pre-oral’ phase, which includes the physiological response our body has ‘before’ we start eating or drinking (i.e. sensory recognition of food approaching our mouth).
One serious consequence of dysphagia is aspiration, where food or fluid enter the airway instead of the stomach. If left unaddressed, dysphagia and aspiration can lead to serious health issues, such as dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia. For adults experiencing dysphagia, there can be emotional effects as well. They may feel disinterest in food, reduced enjoyment during meals, embarrassment, or isolation related to eating and drinking.
Early signs that someone may be having trouble swallowing include:
- Difficulty closing lips resulting in food/fluid spilling out of the mouth
- Problems with chewing. This could be due to the strength and coordination of the muscles in the mouth or the condition of our teeth
- Food/fluid remaining in the mouth after swallowing
- The sensation of food/fluid going ‘down the wrong way’
- Coughing
- Gagging
- Choking while eating or drinking
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pain when eating/swallowing
- Unexplained temperature spikes
It is important for anyone experiencing concerns relating to their swallowing function to seek medical advice. If they feel it necessary, your doctor may refer you to a speech pathologist who is the professional trained to assess and make recommendations for managing a person’s swallowing difficulty which may include food/fluid modifications, environmental modifications, and/or compensatory strategies to improve safety during mealtimes.
Carrie is a registered NDIS provider for therapeutic supports and can therefore see NDIS participants whose plans are agency, plan or self-managed. Carrie is also available to provide swallowing / mealtime assessment and recommendations to DVA participants and Aged Care Providers.
