Understanding Swallowing Disorders
Have you or a loved one been recently diagnosed with dysphagia? Learn more about this misunderstood condition with these common questions about swallowing disorders.
Understanding Swallowing Disorders
Have you or a loved one been recently diagnosed with dysphagia? Learn more about this misunderstood condition with these common questions about swallowing disorders.
Swallowing difficulties, also called dysphagia (pronounced “dis-fay-juh”), can occur at different stages in the swallowing process:
Oral phase: sucking, chewing, and moving food or liquid into the throat
Pharyngeal phase: starting the swallowing reflex, squeezing food down the throat, and closing off the airway to prevent food or liquid from entering the airway (aspiration) or to prevent choking
Esophageal phase: relaxing and tightening the openings at the top and bottom of the feeding tube in the throat (esophagus) and squeezing food through the esophagus into the stomach
Some causes of feeding and swallowing problems in adults result from damage to the nervous system and include:
Dysphagia can also be caused by problems affecting the head and neck, including:
Feeding and swallowing disorders in infants and children are usually caused by multiple factors. They can result from congenital or acquired neurological damage (e.g., encephalopathies), anatomic and structural problems (e.g., craniofacial anomalies, tracheoesophageal fistula), genetic conditions (chromosomal, syndromic, or inborn errors of metabolism), systemic illness (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, gastrointestinal dysmotility), and psychosocial and behavioral issues. Always consult your physician before serving Thick-It® brand products to children.
Kent Precision Foods Group is committed to providing our customers with safe and high-quality products while complying with applicable industry standards and regulatory requirements. For years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association have advised caution in the use of thickening products that contain xanthan gum or similar agents, such as starch, with any infant. In the thickener industry, this caution has expanded over time.
Under these circumstances and until further information is made available, Kent Precision Foods Group has decided to update the Thick-It® brand product line labels (Clear Advantage® Instant Food & Beverage Thickener, Clear Advantage® ready-to-drink beverages, Original Food & Beverage Thickener, Original Concentrated Food & Beverage Thickener, and Original Foodservice Food & Beverage Thickener) to recommend the products should not be used by infants under 2 years old and should only be used by children under the age of 12 in consultation with a physician.
Several diseases, conditions, or surgical interventions can result in swallowing problems. General signs may include:
People who have problems swallowing may also have:
Children with feeding and swallowing problems have a wide variety of symptoms. Not all signs and symptoms are present in every child. These signs can include:
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) specializing in swallowing disorders can evaluate individuals experiencing eating and drinking problems. The SLP will take a careful history of medical conditions and symptoms, looking at the strength and movement of the muscles involved in swallowing. They will observe feeding to determine posture, behavior, and oral movements during eating and drinking.
The SLP may also perform special tests to evaluate swallowing, such as modified barium swallow in which the individual eats or drinks food or liquid containing barium dye. The SLP can then observe the swallowing process with an X-ray. In an endoscopic assessment, a lighted scope is inserted through the nose allowing the swallowing process to be viewed on a screen.
To consult with a speech-language pathologist, visit the American Speech and Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) Find a Professional website.
Treatment depends on the cause, symptoms, and type of swallowing problem. A speech-language pathologist may recommend:
After the evaluation, family members or caregivers can help by:
The SLP may work as part of a feeding team that may include other health professionals, such as:
Treatment varies greatly depending on the cause and symptoms of the swallowing problem. Based on the results of the feeding and swallowing evaluation, the SLP or feeding team may recommend any of the following:
If feeding therapy with an SLP is recommended, the focus may include the following:
After the evaluation, family members or caregivers should:
While this list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not imply endorsement by ASHA, you can learn more about dysphagia diagnosis and treatment by visiting:
The above information was prepared and is used with permission from www.asha.org.
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