Swallowing Correctly Can Save Your Life – Are You Doing It Right?

People often presume swallowing is automatic and infallible, but I’ve learned it isn’t.

When my girl was 2 months old, she caught RSV and stopped gaining weight. When she tried to feed, she coughed and sputtered, sometimes arching her back. She was soon diagnosed pinch dysphagia – a swallowing disorder.

“You’re fortunate we caught this early,” nan speech-language pathologist (SLP) said, aft we watched a unrecorded X-ray of my babe swallowing. When she fed, her airway didn’t adjacent entirely, causing a spot of look to spell down nan incorrect tube. The SLP explained that moreover a mini magnitude of nutrient aliases liquid entering nan lungs tin origin pneumonia.

Luckily, curen was easy. I added thickening powder to her babe formula. Then, I gradually reduced nan magnitude of powder, retraining nan mechanisms successful my daughter’s pharynx to swallow correctly.

This acquisition was 1 of nan galore reasons I became a speech-language pathologist myself. For nan past 8 years, I’ve worked pinch babies, children and adults pinch dysphagia. Last year, I knowledgeable dysphagia arsenic an big erstwhile chronic acerb reflux caused maine to eat and portion much slowly.

Here’s what you tin do to prevent, announcement and – if needed – repair immoderate issues.

How do you swallow properly?

There are elemental ways to protect nan wellness of nan swallowing mechanisms. “The ‘right’ measurement and what feels earthy whitethorn beryllium a small different for everyone,” said Dr Laura Dominguez successful Dallas, Texas, a board-certified otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained laryngologist specializing successful sound and swallowing disorders. “Key things to retrieve are to return appropriately sized bites, chew well, and person h2o aliases immoderate liquid disposable during meals.”

I and different SLPs coach children and adults to slow down erstwhile they’re eating coagulated foods, particularly barren foods for illustration sandwiches, sushi and meat. It’s besides important to defy nan impulse to “knock back” aliases “chug” erstwhile drinking liquids. When we thin our heads backmost and quickly devour ample amounts of liquid, gravity makes nan structures successful our throats activity harder, expanding nan consequence for aspiration, aliases erstwhile thing enters nan airway.

Instead, it’s champion to tilt nan caput only somewhat erstwhile drinking, aliases usage a straw. This allows gravity to support your swallowing.

What causes a swallowing disorder?

“Difficulty swallowing tin hap on pinch immoderate arena that causes inflammation aliases irritation successful nan throat,” said Dominguez. “This tin beryllium short-lived, specified arsenic aft an precocious respiratory infection, aliases longer successful duration, for illustration aft radiation therapy to nan cervix aliases spine surgery.”

For children, “swallowing disorders autumn nether nan umbrella of a pediatric feeding disorder. Research has shown that one successful astir 3 dozen children nether 5 years aged are affected by a PFD,” said Amy Zembriski, a speech-language pathologist successful New Jersey. She explained that puerility aliases big swallowing disorders tin beryllium caused by anxiety, sensitivity to texture, aliases underlying aesculapian diagnoses for illustration gastrointestinal distress, neurological disorders aliases nutrient allergies. Sometimes, nan origin is unknown. “Swallowing uses complete 30 muscles successful our bodies, galore cranial nerves, and speedy coordination successful bid to move nan foods and liquids that we devour safely from our mouths to our stomachs,” Zembriski said.

One successful 17 adults complete nan property of 45 are besides diagnosed pinch dysphagia. “In adults, it often results from neurological conditions specified arsenic stroke, Parkinson’s illness aliases dementia, and tin besides hap arsenic a earthy portion of ageing. The muscles progressive successful swallowing weaken complete time, overmuch for illustration different muscles successful nan body,” said Stephanie Jeret, an SLP successful Skokie, Illinois. Dysphagia tin person a psychological root, aliases it tin hap consequent to gastrointestinal distress (ie gastroesophageal reflux disease, acerb reflux and nan like), which is connected nan rise successful adults astatine each ages owed to nan usage of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic.

What is it for illustration to unrecorded pinch dysphagia?

Some dysphagia is short-lived and tin resoluteness pinch treatment, but sometimes, these disorders tin past for months aliases years.

“Living pinch dysphagia tin beryllium highly challenging,” said Jeret. “Some individuals whitethorn require a feeding tube, while others must debar definite nutrient textures aliases liquid consistencies to eat and portion safely.” Diet modifications, for illustration pureed foods aliases thickened liquids, whitethorn beryllium basal “in preventing nutrient aliases liquids from entering nan airway and causing respiratory complications”.

Jeret and Zembriski some person children pinch feeding aliases swallowing difficulties. “Although I was knowledgable astir nan upset successful adults, it was overwhelming and frightening to navigate it arsenic a parent,” she said.

Feeding and swallowing disorders “​​can importantly effect a child’s wide assurance and expertise to link pinch others astatine mealtime”, said Zembriski. Children who person knowledgeable dysphagia whitethorn person higher worry aliases strict nutrient preferences and whitethorn miss retired connected societal events.

“Mealtimes tin consciousness stressful, overwhelming, and for illustration stepping connected eggshells,” she said. “Caregivers whitethorn consciousness for illustration they are failing because their children whitethorn not beryllium maintaining capable nutrition, their children only eat a fistful of foods, aliases well-intentioned family members and friends whitethorn beryllium telling them that ‘they will turn retired of it’ aliases ‘you conscionable person to make them eat’.”

Dysphagia successful adults tin beryllium acute erstwhile location is abrupt inflammation successful nan pharynx aliases a nutrient blockage. It tin besides beryllium recurring aliases chronic. John Paul Andersen, a biomedical intelligence successful Lehi, Utah, developed a swallowing upset arsenic an adult. “My dysphagia first manifested erstwhile I was 30. I was eating steak and abruptly realized it was stuck, and thing could get astir it – not moreover saliva,” he said. “I now person to eat each my meals mindfully, which is simply a immense nuisance, but I learned to unrecorded pinch it.”

“Dysphagia is much prevalent than galore recognize and tin importantly effect value of life,” said Jeret. “Early recognition and involution are cardinal to reducing wellness risks and helping individuals eat and portion pinch greater safety, assurance and dignity.”

I person lived pinch a mild swallowing upset for a year, which I first noticed erstwhile coagulated foods felt for illustration they were going down overmuch slower than usual. Because of my acquisition arsenic a clinician, I already ate mindfully, but person had to slow down moreover more. I didn’t recognize really quickly my family and friends sped done meals until I had to hold respective seconds to swallow each bite. I’d for illustration to person an easier clip eating, but I savor nutrient otherwise now – it’s almost meditative. Breathing and swallowing hap successful specified adjacent proximity, and taking my clip pinch some reminds maine really vulnerable these mean processes tin be.