Swallowing Disorders or Dysphagia
Swallowing or deglutition is the process by which one passes eating or drinking substance from mouth to stomach.
Swallowing is a very complex action that requires extremely precise coordination of muscles with breathing.
Swallowing process divided into three stages:
Oral Stage
Food is mixed with saliva and chewed to form bolus. Then tongue pushes it towards back of throat.
Pharyngeal Stage
In this stage food or liquid is prevented to enter into airway, allowing passage to food pipe.
Esophageal Stage
In this stage the food or liquid moves in food pipe that contract to push the bolus into the stomach.
If there is any difficulty in transporting food or liquid from mouth to stomach, this is called Swallowing Disorder or Dysphagia.
Dysphagia is commonly seen in head & neck cancer patients, stroke and other neurological conditions.
Dysphagia can be a life threatening condition if not treated timely.
Swallowing or dysphagia therapy is given by Speech Language Pathologists who are especially trained for Dysphagia treatment. Dysphagia can occur at any age, but it's more common in older adults. The causes of swallowing problems vary, and treatment depends on the cause. Get details to know Swallowing disorders click here!
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