Having recently been diagnosed as having either acute or merely sporadic bouts of dysphagia, it can be somewhat confusing when reading through the bundles of paperwork, leaflets, and advice from your medical doctor or hospital staff.
Dysphagia is far more common than one may think, and there are various ways to handle the condition and, in some cases, eradicate it entirely. With this in mind, continue reading to learn some valuable advice after being diagnosed with dysphagia.
What Exactly Is Dysphagia?
According to a research study conducted in 2019, approximately 15 million people have been diagnosed with dysphagia across the length and breadth of the United States.
Essentially, dysphagia is a term to describe an inability or a physical reluctance to swallow food or liquids properly and can also affect a person’s ability and desire to chew their food sufficiently.
Causes & Symptoms
There are many reasons why an individual may start experiencing signs of dysphagia. The condition commonly occurs in people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Common causes of dysphagia can include the following:
- Stroke
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Brain Tumor
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Obstruction In Mouth Or Throat
Even though cases of dysphagia are found in people of all ages, it appears as though it is more common in older adults, with more males experiencing dysphagia than females.
The symptoms of dysphagia all relate to either the mouth or throat, and people living with dysphagia often show signs of one or more of the following symptoms:
- Gagging or coughing when swallowing or attempting to swallow
- Unexplained and rather rapid weight loss
- An inability to properly control saliva levels
- Drooling
- A feeling or sensation of something being lodged in the throat
- A difficulty in gulping
- Often choking when eating
- Uncontrollable regurgitation
- Recurrent and persistent heartburn
Handling Your Dysphagia
Many people live with more-or-less persistent dysphagia over a number of years. Conversely, some people only experience a flare-up once every couple of years in some cases.
One of the most effective and cost-effective ways to attempt to modify and improve symptoms of dysphagia is to invest in an established and reputable brand of food thickener such as SimplyThick thickeners, which make the management of the chewing and swallowing of food and liquids considerably easier.
Another incredibly useful technique in making eating a meal easier and hopefully maybe even more enjoyable is researching ways and means of moving your body, face, and mouth and changing your posture. This will help to better assist the food and drink to travel through your system while eating.
Other tools and techniques that people who have been living with dysphagia for a number of years report to be useful include investing in some texture modified foods and ready meals, booking an initial appointment with a therapist, learning some speech and language therapist techniques, and consulting your medical doctor on how to make appropriate dietary changes.
Receiving a diagnosis of dysphagia can be daunting, but you should still be able to enjoy food with these tips.
