Senior Home Care Alpharetta GA – Is Your Loved One Displaying Symptoms of a Swallowing Disorder?
Common Causes of Dysphagia
As mentioned previously, occasionally swallowing disorders just develop because of age. Another common cause of dysphagia is dry mouth, which can be the result of medication side effects or dehydration. Some diseases and health conditions may also cause dysphagia, such as:- Mouth, throat, or esophagus cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- Brain or spinal cord injury
- Lou Gehrig’s disease (or ALS)
- Bad or missing teeth
Swallowing Disorder Symptoms
Your elderly loved one or yourself may not immediately notice a swallowing disorder if it comes on slowly. It may be chalked up to simply eating too fast or not paying attention to the food in his mouth. Everyone occasionally swallows something down the “wrong pipe,” and might choke or cough to get it out. However, consistent issues like the symptoms listed below can suggest your loved one has a swallowing issue that needs to be reviewed by a doctor and addressed.- Complaints of frequent heartburn
- Bouts of coughing during or after taking each bite
- Food or liquid falling out of the mouth when eating
- Clearing the throat often after eating or drinking
- Spending extra time chewing
- Indicating pain while swallowing or pounding themselves in the chest
- Choking on food frequently, despite it being well-chopped up
- Unexplained weight loss
How to Help Your Loved One with Dysphasia
Your loved one may not even think too much about his disorder but helping him learn solutions to avoid those feelings of choking, can help him enjoy his meals more and provide you with a sense of security that you won’t need to worry about him choking. Schedule a visit to your loved one’s doctor to discuss what particular part of swallowing he’s struggling with – is it chewing, moving the food in his mouth, swallowing, or a combination? His doctor may recommend several options but there are also steps you can take at home to help your loved one eat safely.- Prepare moist foods that don’t require a lot of chewing.
- Chop foods into small bites to prevent choking.
- Serve foods in small quantities. Perhaps have 4-5 small meals a day instead of 2-3 larger ones.
- Provide plenty of liquid to drink between bites.
- Review where your loved one eats. He should eat sitting up at a table if possible.