Symptoms And Treatment Of Swallowing Disorders

By Nora Jennings


Being able to swallow is an automatic response that occurs often in a day to day life. Most people will not think of it and take it for granted as they do breathing. The fact is that not being able to do it freely can cause many problems in a persons life. These can manifest as what is called dysphagia in clinical terms. Various symptoms are observed when one is being diagnosed with swallowing disorders.

Coughing is a major sign to look out for this disorder as it should not happen when eating or right after you swallow the food. It could get so bad that one may not be able to finish their food or even drink. At such a point then you know you have the disorder, because right after you stop eating or drinking, it also stops. It could lead to blockage of the food or wind pipe by the food or drink which is very dangerous.

Having the psychological trauma of choking often leads to the individuals eating very slowly. They also tend to chew for a very long time hence spend a lot of time when eating. They may avoid eating altogether or avoid doing it when they are near anyone. Once they chew, they swallow very slowly, with the fear that they might chock, which is not necessarily the case.

Children are the most commonly affected by the problem. They refuse to swallow the food altogether, and it ends up remaining in the mouth for a very long time or dripping out through the corners of their mouths. Chest blockages after meals is related to the problem but not always. Seek medical attention whenever you notice some of these problems. However, some of the conditions are minor, and some people have managed to live with them.

Most of these people will have weight loss problems simply because they do not take in enough. This is especially common in children although even adults will have these problems. Taking in food in adults can be inhibited by pain in the throat and even having other problems. For example, people suffering from mouth and throat sores will find it hard to chew and swallow food.

People with this problem have a high risk of aspirating food. This is whereby the food goes into the air pipe and into the lungs. This can cause fatal problems including pneumonia and chronic lung infections. Whatever the cause of the problem whether physical or psychological, it should be addressed as soon as possible.

The case of throat sores can be easily remedied by taking some steps. These will include making the food softer by mashing them. They can also be cooked bland so that they contain minimum or no spicing. This will help to reduce the acidic content in the food and so reduce inflammation on the sores. This is how you will make it easier for the food to go down the system. People who are unable to swallow can be embarrassed to eat food in public gatherings.

The psychological trauma that comes with the disorder is enormous, especially when eating in a public place. Hence such people avoid the meal altogether. One could visit a doctor or change their diet to include soft meals as well as adopting slow eating.




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