Dysphagia causes difficulty swallowing, often affecting the elderly or those with neurological disorders. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can lead to malnutrition or pneumonia. Treatment options include dietary changes, swallowing techniques, and surgery.
Dysphagia is a medical condition that causes a person to have trouble swallowing. It can be caused by weak muscles in the mouth and throat. A limited amount of saliva production, brain problems that affect the body’s nervous system, or damage to a person’s esophagus can also cause this problem.
The people most commonly affected by dysphagia are the elderly, those who have had a stroke, people with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, and people with Alzheimer’s disease. People who suffer from nervous system disorders or injuries to the head, neck and spinal cord are also more prone to difficulty swallowing. Additionally, individuals who have had internal burns from poisoning or radiation therapy, as well as those who have an infection or other mouth or throat problem, are more likely to develop this condition.
There are many different methods to determine if a person has dysphagia. People with this condition may seem to swallow constantly, cough constantly, clear their throat regularly, have saliva and food fall out of their mouths as they eat, or find it easier to eat slowly. Most of the time, however, people don’t want to admit that they have trouble swallowing, which is why many common symptoms go unnoticed and the disorder often goes untreated.
Symptoms of dysphagia can range from mild to severe. If a person always feels like they have food and liquids stuck in their throat, then they may have a severe case. Any kind of pain as food travels to the stomach also indicates a serious problem.
Severe dysphagia can be problematic because it can lead to improperly digested food. As a result, the person may not be able to absorb vitamins and minerals as effectively. At worst, swallowing problems can lead to a serious case of pneumonia as food or liquid makes its way into the lungs instead of the stomach.
Dysphagia is treatable, though not always curable. A doctor can suggest methods to ease the discomfort associated with eating, drinking, and swallowing for those who suffer from it, and primary treatments include changing the foods the patient eats and teaching them to swallow differently. For worst cases, surgery may be an option.
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