Anyone can have trouble swallowing a mouthful of food. For some, difficulty swallowing becomes a health problem (affects more than 10% of those over 65 years old)
Anyone can have it trouble swallowing a morsel of foodbut For some people, swallowing is difficult. In medical terms it is called dysphagia and can become a real health problem.
How widespread
It is estimated that the oropharyngeal dysphagiathe most common form involving the difficulty passing food from the mouth into the esophagusinterests more than 10 percent of those over 65 years old, and more than 70% among patients living in nursing homes – says Francesca Galeazzi, medical director at the Gastroenterology of the University of Padua Hospital and national councilor of the Italian Association of hospital gastroenterologists and digestive endoscopists (Aigo) -. The problem is increasing, also due to the aging of the population and the consequent greater spread of neurological and vascular pathologies.
Causes
Typically oropharyngeal dysphagia linked to cerebral stroke outcomesto neurological and muscular pathologies
degenerative and dementia, but it can also derive from difficulty chewing. Generally these are elderly patients, sometimes even with cognitive problems, which can initially make recognizing their condition problematic. The least common esophageal dysphagiawhich involves the difficulty passing food from the esophagus to the stomachlinked to other causes, starting from esophageal tumors or other districts that cause esophageal motility disorders due to compression of the esophagus.
What are the symptoms
At the beginning i symptoms they can be subtle and not very obvious. The patient may feel the need for teakeep food in the mouth for a long time, avoid certain foods or even refuse food or swallow repeatedly. There may also be one loss of saliva or food from the mouth and inhalation symptoms may occur due to the entry of the food bolus into the respiratory tract rather than the esophagus upon swallowing. In this case the person may have one gurgling voice or cough after swallowingup to severe cases of pneumonia resulting from the entry of food into the lungs.
Stand up straight and lower your chin while eating
If you suspect swallowing difficulties, which can be confirmed with simple questionnaires and swallowing tests, carried out by healthcare personnel even at the patient's bedside if necessary, it is best to contact specialized centers.
There diagnosis it must be explored in depth with various specialists and healthcare professionals (from ENTs and gastroenterologists to physiotherapists and speech therapists), possibly in a multidisciplinary manner. If appropriate, instrumental methods can be used, such as the radiographic study of the act of swallowing a contrast medium which is filmed or the fiber optic vision of the swallowing study. There therapy depends on the causebut swallowing rehabilitation measures are always central. Some precautions can be put in place right away, for example, making sure the person maintains the standing position during meals and try to lower your chin towards your sternum when swallowing concludes Galeazzi.
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February 18, 2024 (modified February 18, 2024 | 06:44)
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