Swallowing Problems

Dysphagia is the term used to refer to any difficult with swallowing in the oral, phayrngeal or esophageal phases. 

Causes of dysphagia include:
Nervous system damage caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, injury to the spinal cord, as well as Parkinson' s disease and other neuroloical diseases. Cancer and surgery can also affect one’s ability to swallow.  

Signs and symptoms of dysphagia include:
Coughing or throat clearing while eating or drinking; a “wet voice quality while eating or drinking; increase time to eat or swallow; deydration and weight loss; recurreing pneumonia; holding of food in the mouth 

The role of the Speech Language Pathologist:
With a doctor’s order, the speech language pathologist will conduct a comprehnsive assessment of the individuals swallow. This is often referred to as a “clinical dysphagia evaluation” or “bedside swallow evaluation and includes:

Patient or caregiver interview regarding history of difficulty, medical conditions and amount of time the problem has existed.

A thorough examination of the mouth to assess muscle movement, range of motion and strength.

Assessment of the individual eating and drinking a variety of drinks and foods, looking for signs of difficulty. 

The speech language pathologist may then perform one of two instrumental studies to further assess the swallow. These are:
Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
An objective assessment of swallowing function done by passing a flexible endoscope, containing a camera on the tip, along the floor of the nasal cavity and over the soft palate while the patient is eating.

Modified Barium Swallow (MBS)
An objective assessment of swallowing function done by taking an X-ray while the patient is eating.

Treatment for Dysphagia
After the evaluation of swallowing is completed, the speech-language pathologist may recommend a number of exercises or strategies to improve the indivuals ability to swallow. He or she may also recommend altering the consistency of the food or liquids to allow for safer swallowing. 

 

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