Swallowing Disorders
A swallowing disorder, also known as dysphagia, is difficulty moving food from the mouth to the stomach.
- Children and adults may develop problems with swallowing due to a variety of medical disorders, such as a stroke, brain injury and neurodegenerative disease.
- Difficulties may be observed in only one area, such as the mouth, or multiple areas, such as the mouth, throat and esophagus.
Symptoms of Dysphagia
Swallowing disorders may present as one or more of the following signs in adults or children.Adults
- Coughing during or after eating or drinking.
- Frequent chest congestion after eating.
- Increased effort or time to chew or swallow.
- Leakage of foods or liquids from the mouth or foods remaining in the mouth.
- Unintentional weight loss or dehydration from not eating or drinking enough.
- Wet sounding voice right after eating or drinking.
Children
- Arching or stiffening of the body during feeding.
- Difficulty coordinating breathing and eating.
- Excessive drooling.
- Extended feeding times (more than 30 mins).
- Gagging or coughing during meals.
- Less than normal weight gain or growth.
- Poor acceptance of different types of foods.
- Refusals of food or liquids.
- Voice changes when eating (hoarse, wet, breathy).
- Vomiting or frequent spitting up of foods.
Services
Clinical Swallowing Assessment
A clinical swallowing assessment is an evaluation performed by a speech-language pathologist of the strength and movement of the muscles involved in swallowing, as well as an assessment of different textures and amounts of foods and liquids.
During the evaluation, a speech-language pathologist may observe a variety of different head or body positions and techniques while the client eats and drinks to eliminate any noted symptoms of dysphagia.
Sometimes a more thorough evaluation is needed to diagnose and treat a swallowing disorder and speech-language pathology staff may complete an instrumental assessment of the swallow through a modified barium swallow study (via x-ray) or a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of the swallow (using a camera). These assessments allow swallowing to be seen in motion so that different therapeutic techniques can be tried and safe ways to swallow can be identified.
Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing
Speech-language pathologists also specialize in the feeding and swallowing skills in newborns and prematurely born infants in the NICU and after discharge from the NICU.
Our integrated services team works closely with families, occupational therapy and medical teams to develop a care plan that supports each baby’s unique developmental needs.
The ultimate goal is to help the infant eat orally and empower families with the knowledge and skills needed to guide future feeding and swallowing development of their babies. Specifically, ways speech-language pathologists help families is to:
- Assess how infants use the muscles of the mouth and throat to suck and swallow and determine their ability to coordinate this with breathing.
- Utilize techniques and provide education on safe and effective eating through positioning, supports and/or pacing.
Populations Served
Both adult and pediatric clients with dysphagia can benefit from the expert assessments and recommendations of a speech-language pathologist.- Individuals who have acquired difficulties from a stroke or traumatic brain injury may improve in their swallow function as a result of swallowing services.
- Adults who have experienced changes in their swallowing skills may gain independence from the direct intervention program designed for them to more safely and effectively manage foods and liquids.
- Children born with undeveloped swallow skills also benefit from the expertise of a speech-language pathologist. Families of children with dysphagia receive training in exercises and techniques to aid their child in eating and swallowing.