Dysphagia Pamphlet
*This is a pamphlet created by a fictitious speech-language pathologist for a man with dysphagia. The pamphlet gives a brief overview of dysphagia.*

What is dysphagia?

Dysphagia is when the action of swallowing is difficult to perform (Finestone & Green-Finestone, 2003). Difficulty swallowing that only occurs occasionally does not usually require any sort of remediation, but persistent difficulty may be indicative of a serious medical problem (“Difficulty Swallowing,” 2005). Dysphagia can develop at any age, but occurs more frequently in older adults due to changes in the structures that are used in swallowing. A decline in swallowing function occurs naturally in most aging adults (Connolly & Smith, 2003)

Signs and symptoms of dysphagia:

Swallowing repeatedly (Bloom & Ferrand, 1997)

Coughing or choking while eating

Sensation of food being stuck in your throat

Not being able to swallow at all (“Difficulty Swallowing,” 2005)

Pocketing of food or food is kept in the mouth unintentionally

“Wet” or gurgly quality of voice while eating

Recurring pneumonia

Weight loss

Dehydration (“Swallowing Problems,” 2005)

Causes of dysphagia:

Dysphagia can be caused by any condition that causes damage or weakens the muscles or nerves that are involved in swallowing ("Dysphagia," 2005). Some of these conditions include:

Stroke

Multiple sclerosis

Parkinson’s disease

Alzheimer’s

Cancer of mouth and/or throat

Head and neck injuries

Cerebral palsy

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)

Muscular dystrophy (“Swallowing Problems,” 2005)

Old Age (“Difficulty Swallowing,” 2005)

Treatment for dysphagia:

After dysphagia is diagnosed, a speech-language pathologist will often help to remediate the swallowing process. There are several forms of treatment for dysphagia, depending on the cause, symptoms, and type of swallowing problem. Treatment can be compensatory, which is used to reduce the symptoms of dysphagia with little change to the actual process of swallowing. Treatment can also involve active swallowing therapy that will change how the patient swallows and the muscle function. Compensatory techniques are generally tried first because they do not require extra muscle effort and do not cause fatigue as quickly (Bloom & Ferrand, 1997).

Compensatory techniques can include changing the position of the head or body of the patient, increasing sensory information, changing the food amount or thickness, and making changes to the patient’s eating strategy. The speech-language pathologist will try different techniques and decide which is best for the patient (Bloom & Ferrand, 1997). Stimulation

Swallowing therapy includes exercising the muscles that are used during swallowing. This therapy will change the way a person swallows. These techniques may include exercising the lips, tongue, jaw, and vocal folds. Chewing exercises may also be used to improve coordination of the tongue and jaw while eating (Bloom & Ferrand, 1997). Sensory and motor stimulation also appear to be helpful for patients with persistent dysphagia (Hagg & Larsson, 2005). Other techniques include swallowing maneuvers that help the patient to gain better control over particular areas of their swallow (Bloom & Ferrand, 1997).

In more severe cases of dysphagia when the therapy that could be provided by a speech-language pathologist would not be effective, a feeding tube may be inserted. The feeding tube bypasses the mouth and throat in order to stop food and liquid from entering into the airway, but still provides the client with appropriate nutrition. If the problem is only expected to last a short period of time, a nasogastric (NG) tube will be placed through the nose and into the stomach. If the problem is expected to last a longer period of time, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube may be placed directly through the skin and into the stomach ("Treatment of Swallowing," 2005). 

Where to go for help:

If you believe that you or a loved one is suffering from dysphagia, contact your doctor immediately. Your doctor will talk to you about the potential medical causes of the dysphagia with you. You may then be referred to a speech-language pathologist, who will perform an evaluation and start treatment if necessary. Other medical specialists may also be involved to help evaluate and treat the dysphagia (“Swallowing Problems,” 2005).

Bloom, R. L., & Ferrand, C. T. (1997). Introduction to organic and neurogenic disorders of communication. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Connolly, M. J., & Smith, H.A. (2003). Evaluation and treatment of dysphagia following stroke. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 19 (1), 43-60. Retrieved October 3, 2005, from the Academic Search Premier database.

Difficulty swallowing. (2005, October 12). Retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00523

Dysphagia. (2005, February 23). Retrieved October 10, 2005, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/dysph.asp

Finestone, H.M., & Green-Finestone, L.S. (2003). Rehabilitation medicine: Diagnosis of dysphagia and its nutritional management for stroke patients. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 169 (10), 1041-1044. Retrieved October 3, 2005, from the Academic Search Premier database. 

Hagg, M., & Larsson, B. (2005). Effects of motor and sensory stimulation in stroke patients with long-lasting dysphagia. Dysphagia, 19 (4), 219-230. Retrieved October 3, 2005, from the Medline database.

Swallowing problems in adults. (2005). Retrieved October 23, 2005, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/Swallowing-Disorders-in-Adults.htm

Treatment of swallowing problems. (2005). Retrieved December 2, 2005, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/swallowingproblems-jax/index.html   

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This page was created by Kristen Sirk, a student at Marshall University, as a requirement for CD 315.

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