Endoscopic video swallow research and swallowing difficulties is the issue for this post. Swallowing difficulty is the inability to swallow foods or liquids with ease. People who have a hard time swallowing may choke on their food or liquid when trying to swallow. Dysphagia is a another medical name for difficulty swallowing. This symptom isn’t always indicative of a medical condition. In fact, this condition may be temporary and go away on its own.
Specific volumes of food per swallow may result in faster pharyngeal swallow responses. Clinicians modify the bolus size (i.e., bigger/smaller bolus amounts), particularly for patients that require a greater volume to adequately stimulate a swallow response or for patients that require multiple swallows per bolus. Patients may also require cuing and assistance to maintain an appropriate rate during meals. Impulsivity and/or decreased initiation are examples of cognitive deficits evident across a number of disorders that may affect a patient’s pace during meals. Postural techniques redirect the movement of the bolus in the oral cavity and pharynx and modify pharyngeal dimensions in a systematic way. Postural techniques may be appropriate to use with patients with neurological impairments, head and neck cancer resections, and other structure damage. Postural techniques may be used in patients of all ages. Examples of postural techniques include the following: Chin-down posture —the chin is tucked down toward the neck during the swallow, which may bring the tongue base closer to the posterior pharyngeal wall, narrow the opening to the airway, and widen the vallecular space. Find more info at Dysphagia.
These diets are all nutritionally adequate. However, some patients may have difficulty taking enough fluid and food to get all the energy and nutrients they need. In this case, an adjustment to diet or treatment will be required. Fluids are essential to maintain body functions. Usually 6 to 8 cups of liquid (48-64 oz) are needed daily. For some dysphagia patients, this may present problems because thin liquid can be more difficult to swallow. In this case, fluid can be thickened to make it easier to swallow. However, close monitoring by the dysphagia team is required for anyone drinking less than 4 cups of thickened fluid a day or anyone not progressing to thin liquids within 4 weeks. The greater problem for some patients is eating enough calories. The whole process of eating simply becomes too difficult and too tiring. However, calorie and protein intake can be increased by fortifying the foods the patient does eat.
Liz has completed additional specialized training in treatment and management of dysphagia using endoscopy and working with tracheostomy/ventilator dependent and traumatic brain injury populations. Her professional areas of interest and expertise include adult dysphagia, cerebrovascular disorders, medically fragile, and end-of-life/palliative care. Liz has served as a Clinical Mentor for graduate students interested in the field of medical speech pathology and frequently guest lectures on a variety of topics relating to the Basics of Endoscopy, Medical Ethics, Supervision in Speech-Language Pathology, Counseling in Speech-Language Pathology, and Voice/Swallowing Disorders. She is actively licensed to practice in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. See additional info on www.dysphagiainmotion.com.