A medical condition that makes it hard for a person to swallow both liquid and solid food is referred to using the term dysphagia. This term is derived from two Greek words, that is, dys and phagein. Dys translates to bad or difficult while phagein translates to eat in English. The condition can be caused by various medical conditions that cause weakness and structural problems in the coordination between throat and mouth muscles. Here are facts regarding Dysphagia evaluation.
The throat and mouth muscles that are affected are usually responsible for directing liquids and food down the esophagus. Instead of the food passing through the esophagus, it winds up in the respiratory tract when one has the disorder. The entrance into the epiglottis by food is quite dangerous. If not treated, this condition may end up causing pneumonia and/or aspiration.
The prevalence of this condition is at 13.5 percent. This is according to research conducted in the United States . The prevalence is on the basis of a few factors including, population studied, equipment used, and infectious health disorders. For example, the prevalence is placed between 29 to 64 percent among patients with stroke. Variation of prevalence occurs in people with neurologic disorders.
It is difficult to give statistics on the predominance of this disorder on a worldwide scale. This is due to the rising rate of umpteen illnesses that cause dysphagia, which differ from one geographical area to the other. Generally, this disorder can have effect on people of all ages. All the same, with regard to research, predominance seems to rise with the age of the person.
Development of dysphagia may be caused by several medical conditions. The common ones are radiation treatment for cancer, brain injury, trauma to the neck, head or spine, stroke and other conditions. Also, conditions that affect muscle performance may lead to this condition. Narrowing of the esophagus, cerebral palsy, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other diseases are examples.
There are many symptoms that accompany and characterize this condition. The condition usually seems to get more severe at certain times than others. It may also progress over time. Some common symptoms include fever, chills, wet gurgling voice after meals, throat clearing, changes in breathing, unintentional weight loss, heartburn, excessive secretions, and pain while swallowing. Food may also travel back out through the nose after being swallowed.
Dysphagia can be treated and managed at the same time. Management routines involve making certain changes to the lifestyle that one leads. For instance, one may be required to change the kind of foods they eat. Another management strategy is to engage in exercises that target swallowing muscles. Compensatory strategies such as turning the head to one side when swallowing may also help.
Injection of the Botox, which aids muscle relaxation and allows ease swallowing of foods, is a method of treating the condition. Also, surgical procedure may be conducted to correct the condition. A doctor may also find it necessary to prescribe reflux medications which are readily available.
The throat and mouth muscles that are affected are usually responsible for directing liquids and food down the esophagus. Instead of the food passing through the esophagus, it winds up in the respiratory tract when one has the disorder. The entrance into the epiglottis by food is quite dangerous. If not treated, this condition may end up causing pneumonia and/or aspiration.
The prevalence of this condition is at 13.5 percent. This is according to research conducted in the United States . The prevalence is on the basis of a few factors including, population studied, equipment used, and infectious health disorders. For example, the prevalence is placed between 29 to 64 percent among patients with stroke. Variation of prevalence occurs in people with neurologic disorders.
It is difficult to give statistics on the predominance of this disorder on a worldwide scale. This is due to the rising rate of umpteen illnesses that cause dysphagia, which differ from one geographical area to the other. Generally, this disorder can have effect on people of all ages. All the same, with regard to research, predominance seems to rise with the age of the person.
Development of dysphagia may be caused by several medical conditions. The common ones are radiation treatment for cancer, brain injury, trauma to the neck, head or spine, stroke and other conditions. Also, conditions that affect muscle performance may lead to this condition. Narrowing of the esophagus, cerebral palsy, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other diseases are examples.
There are many symptoms that accompany and characterize this condition. The condition usually seems to get more severe at certain times than others. It may also progress over time. Some common symptoms include fever, chills, wet gurgling voice after meals, throat clearing, changes in breathing, unintentional weight loss, heartburn, excessive secretions, and pain while swallowing. Food may also travel back out through the nose after being swallowed.
Dysphagia can be treated and managed at the same time. Management routines involve making certain changes to the lifestyle that one leads. For instance, one may be required to change the kind of foods they eat. Another management strategy is to engage in exercises that target swallowing muscles. Compensatory strategies such as turning the head to one side when swallowing may also help.
Injection of the Botox, which aids muscle relaxation and allows ease swallowing of foods, is a method of treating the condition. Also, surgical procedure may be conducted to correct the condition. A doctor may also find it necessary to prescribe reflux medications which are readily available.
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