Therabytes - All about Dysphagia

Therabytes

All about Dysphagia!
Dysphagia means that an individual may have impaired swallowing. It is an impairment that can be observed in people with cerebral palsy or neuromuscular diseases. It occurs when the individual isn't able to safely swallow due to changes in muscle tone or altered coordination. It is so important to identify dysphagia because it can have some serious consequences on lung health and nutrition.

Identifying dysphagia is often within the realms of speech pathologists but it usually also involves large teams such as ENT, nutritionists and respiratory medicine. These teams will work together to make a plan to ensure that the individual receives nutrition and hydration safely. It may mean recommending particular textures of food or thickness of liquids so that it is easier for the individual to prepare the food to swallow safely. However, at times, this can be very challenging and meal times can become very lengthy and frustrating with children failing to put on enough weight. When this happens, it may be necessary to consider a PEG which provides a safe way for nutrition and hydration to enter the body without the concerns of choking or aspirating.

Aspirations are when food "goes down the wrong pipe" and ends up in the lungs causing infection. This can be very serious especially if it occurs frequently and this is why it is so important for dysphagia to be treated.

In this episode we also talk about some practical strategies and tips which include reducing distractions when eating and not walking or moving around when eating. Whilst aspirations are more common in children that rely on more equipment and physical assistance, we know that tone and muscle strength can play a role in coordinating safe swallows.