Understanding Swallowing Feeding Disorders

Causes: Dysphagia, a type of swallowing disorder, may develop secondary to damage to the central nervous system (CNS) and/or cranial nerves due to various reasons such as: stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and polymyositis or dermatomyositis. 

Dysphagia may also occur from problems affecting the head and neck, which include: cancer in the oral cavity, pharynx, nasopharynx, or esophagus, radiation and/or chemoradiation for head and neck cancer treatment, trauma or surgery involving the head and neck, decayed or missing teeth, and critical care that may have included oral intubation and/or tracheostomy. 

Treatment: The treatment of dysphagia often involves rehabilitative and/or compensatory techniques. A rehabilitative approach aims to restore normal swallow function through a variety of techniques and swallowing exercises designed to improve the underlying physiological function, thus providing lasting improvements. On the other hand, a compensatory approach, which is commonly integrated in speech therapy, alters the swallow without creating lasting functional change and is used to compensate for deficits that cannot be rehabilitated sufficiently. Techniques such as head rotation, diet modification, pacing and feeding strategies, postural adjustments, and caregiver/patient education may be employed in these compensatory approaches. 

Resources: For more information on swallowing disorders and dysphagia treatment, visit the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association at https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/adult-dysphagia/