Swallowing Therapy

Most of us enjoy eating and drinking that supports good health and brings enjoyment. Some people, however, experience difficulty with the process of swallowing, a condition knows as dysphagia.

This condition can lead to other health issues, such as poor nutrition, dehydration, pneumonia and other respiratory conditions.

For treatment, you may be referred to a speech-language pathologist to improve the strength of your swallowing muscles.

Causes

Dysphagia can be caused by certain medical conditions, including:

Stroke
Traumatic injury
Cancer of the mouth or throat
Neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's or ALS
Age-related changes in older adults

Signs

If you experience any of these problems, discuss them with your physician:

Food or liquid spilling out of your mouth
Trouble chewing
Prolonged meal times
Unintentional weight loss
Frequent throat clearing
Coughing
Change in voice sound when eating and drinking
Feeling of food getting caught in your throat

Swallowing assessment

A speech-language pathologist, also known as a speech therapist, will begin by asking you questions and testing the strength and movement of your jaw, lips and tongue.

The therapist will thenl perform several swallowing assessments:

Clinical swallow evaluation. You will consume a variety of foods and liquids while the therapist watches and makes note of any outward sign of difficulty.
Modified barium swallow (MBS). You will be asked to swallow small portions of specially flavored barium in different thicknesses. Both a speech therapist and a radiologist watch via imaging as the barium passes through your throat, documenting any variation from normal swallowing.
Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). A narrow scope is passed into your throat through the nose so the therapist can observe what is happening in the throat while you swallow foods and liquids.