Dysphagia Library

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Signs and Symptoms

Some people with Dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or drinks, while others cannot swallow at all. Here are some key signs that can indicate someone is having difficulty swallowing “free flowing” drinks and needs to have them slõwed down so they can drink safely.

Signs of dysphagia include:

  • Coughing or choking when eating or drinking.
  • Hesitation or inability to swallow.
  • You may also drool and have problems chewing.
  • Bringing food back up, sometimes through the nose.
  • A feeling that food is stuck in your throat or chest.
  • A gurgly, wet-sounding voice.
  • Frequent repetitive swallowing or excessive throat clearing.
  • Horse voice or recurrent sore throat.
  • Recurrent episodes of pneumonia.
  • Frequent heartburn and need to “wash down” solid foods.
  • Unexpected weight loss.

Diagnosis

To assess if you may have Dysphagia, your clinician is likely to ask questions such as:

  • Do you cough and choke when you eat or drink?
  • Does it take longer to eat your meals than it used to?
  • Have you changed the type of foods you eat?
  • Does your voice change after eating or drinking?

Other ways Dysphagia may be diagnosed:

  • Swallow Test – a clinician will watch and assess your ability to swallow.
  • Videofluoroscopy – this involves an X-Ray of you swallowing.
  • Nasoendoscopy – a camera is used to look at your throat and airways.

What are Thickened Drinks?

Thickened drinks may help with drinking or swallowing. They can be helpful because they flow slõwly in your mouth and that makes them easier to manage.

They may help to reduce coughing and prevent drink coming out of your mouth. They should help drinks go into your stomach rather than your lungs.

They are made at varying thickness levels, measured on the IDDSI scale.

Some thickening products can be difficult to make, but Slõ products are all pre-measured with a specific dose of thickener so that you can easily make a drink to the correct consistency every time. They are very easy to mix, with no lumps and it doesn’t change the taste.

You can thicken your usual drinks with thickeners, such a Slõ Syrup. You can thicken hot and cold drinks, including Fizzy Drinks, Wine, Beer, Cider. Or there are pre thickened Drinks like Slõ Milkshakes+ ONS (Oral Nutritional Supplement) which are also nutritious. Products such as Pill-Eze can also help make medication easier to swallow.

Conditions with Dysphagia

Dysphagia is usually caused by another health condition and can happen at any age.

Possible causes of Dysphagia:

  • Some medicines, such as antipsychotics.
  • Having a learning disability.
  • A cleft lip and palate in babies.
  • Heartburn and acid reflux, especially in children or people who have gastro- oesophageal reflux disease.
  • Problems with your breathing caused by conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • A condition that affects the nervous system or brain, such as cerebral palsy, a stroke, dementia or multiple sclerosis.
  • Cancer, such as mouth cancer or  oesophageal cancer.

We have put together a full list of conditions that can cause dysphagia. This can be downloaded here