Swallowing difficulties, diagnostics and treatments is the topic of the day. 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.
The body of literature about electrical stimulation for swallowing is growing, and additional studies are underway to further the knowledge about this technique and its implications for dysphagia treatment. Electrical stimulation is promoted as a treatment technique for speech and/or swallowing disorders that uses an electrical current to stimulate the nerves either superficially via the skin or directly into the muscle in order to stimulate the peripheral nerve. Electrical stimulation for swallowing is intended to strengthen the muscles that move the larynx up and forward during swallow function. Patients may benefit from the use of specific equipment/utensils to facilitate swallow function. A patient can use utensils to bypass specific phases of the swallow, to control for bolus size, or to facilitate oral control of the bolus. SLPs collaborate with other team members in identifying and implementing use of adaptive equipment. Read additional info at Swallowing Diagnostics South Louisiana.
A blockage or a malfunction anywhere in this part of the body or in the nervous system controlling swallowing can result in dysphagia. There are two types: Esophageal dysphagia occurs when food/liquid stops in the esophagus. This can happen in several ways. Stomach acid can reflux into the esophagus. Over time, the reflux causes inflammation and a narrowing (stricture) of the esophagus. Food and eventually liquids feel like they are sticking in the middle and lower chest. There may be chest discomfort or even real pain. Fortunately, physicians can usually dilate (widen) this narrowing, and there is now treatment available to keep it from returning. Cancer, hiatus hernia, and certain muscle disorders of the esophagus are less frequent causes of esophageal dysphagia. Solid food is usually more of a problem than liquids.
High quality images paired with in-depth analysis of swallowing function leads to improved recommendations. Timely assessments! We aim to have your patient evaluated within 1-2 business days. Cost-effective! FEES costs about 1/4 to 1/2 of a traditional modified barium swallow study (MBSS) at the hospital. We work our hardest to prevent your patient from being placed on texture modified diets but if they need to, we can prove with objective data for accurate documentation. We take the time to help you come up with strategies and make recommendations that ACTUALLY WORK! Discover extra details at dysphagiainmotion.com.