Endoscopic video swallow research and swallowing disorders is the topic of the day. Some swallowing difficulties can’t be prevented and dysphagia treatment is necessary. A speech-language pathologist will perform a swallowing evaluation to diagnosis your dysphagia. Once the evaluation is completed, the speech pathologist may recommend: diet modification, oropharyngeal swallowing exercises to strengthen muscles, compensatory swallowing strategies, postural modifications that you should follow while eating. However, if swallowing problems are persistent, they can result in malnutrition and dehydration, especially in the very young and in older adults. Recurrent respiratory infections and aspiration pneumonia are also likely. All of these complications are serious and life-threatening and must be treated definitively.
Compensatory techniques alter the swallow when used but do not create lasting functional change. An example of a compensatory technique includes a head rotation, which is used during the swallow to direct the bolus toward one of the lateral channels of the pharyngeal cavity. Although this technique may increase swallow safety during the swallow, there is no lasting benefit or improvement in physiology when the technique is not used. The purpose of the technique is to compensate for deficits that cannot be or are not yet rehabilitated sufficiently. Rehabilitative techniques, such as exercises, are designed to create lasting change in an individual’s swallowing over time by improving underlying physiological function. The intent of many exercises is to improve function in the future rather than compensate for a deficit in the moment. See more details on Dysphagia.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia involves difficulty moving food to the back of the mouth and starting the swallowing process. This type of dysphagia can result from various nerve or brain disorders such as stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, cancer of the neck or throat, a blow to the brain or neck, or even dental disorders. Depending on the cause, symptoms may include drooling, choking, coughing during or after meals, pocketing of food between the teeth and cheeks, gurgly voice quality, inability to suck from a straw, nasal regurgitation (food backing into the nasal passage), chronic respiratory infection, or weight loss. Liquids are usually more of a problem in oropharyngeal dysphagia.
We offer Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), a gold-standard, evidence-based procedure that can be performed at the patient’s bedside with no barium consumption or radiation exposure. Using the flexible endoscope, we’re able to visualize the swallow in a patient’s natural eating environment to assess swallowing function. FEES is a cost-effective alternative to Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS) at 1/4 of the price with no transportation or mileage costs to your facility. Discover extra details on https://www.dysphagiainmotion.com/.
