Swallowing Disorders Archives - Page 2 of 5

Disorders

Silent Aspiration

Aspiration that does not provoke an expected, normal response of coughing or throat clearing. Silent aspiration suggests a very high risk of aspiration pneumonia.

Disorders

Post-swallow Hypopharyngeal Reflux

Post-swallow hypopharyngeal reflux refers to when, shortly after a person swallows, some swallowed material returns from below the esophageal entrance back up into the hypopharynx. This finding is an almost certain diagnostic indicator of cricopharyngeal dysfunction, usually with an associated

Disorders

Inability to Initiate Swallow

When a person feels unable to initiate the swallow. Normally, after the oral preparatory phase of swallowing (chewing, mixing with saliva), a person can voluntarily initiate the swallow reflex by moving the liquid or chewed food back to the base

Disorders

Choking

Choking is a term that, as used popularly, can describe at least a few distinct scenarios or disorders: Minor aspiration. A person swallows and food or liquid “goes down the wrong tube” (down the airway), which provokes aggressive coughing. Life-threatening

X-ray of cricopharyngeus muscle which narrows the swallowed barium stream

Disorders

Food Lodgment

Food lodgment refers to when food gets stuck somewhere along its path from lips to stomach. Lodgment is more of a “full stop” of the food’s digestive journey, as compared with pooling. Lodgment usually occurs at one of these points:

Disorders

Pill Dysphagia

Difficulty or inability to swallow pills. For some individuals with pill dysphagia, swallowed pills may tend to lodge in the person’s vallecula, due to presbyphagia. For others, swallowed pills may tend to lodge at the level of the cricopharyngeus muscle,

Disorders

Delayed Swallow Reflex

Delayed swallow reflex refers to when a person’s automatic swallow reflex—which normally kicks in when liquid or chewed food in the mouth reaches the base of the tongue—is hampered. Individuals with normal swallowing rarely notice or think about the action

Disorders

Early Spillover

When, during the oral preparatory phase of swallowing (chewing, mixing with saliva), some of the liquid or food material escapes and begins to drain down into the hypopharynx. A tendency toward early spillover can accompany a poor ability to “organize”

Disorders

Esophageal Stenosis

Narrowing in the esophagus. This narrowing can be congenital, or can result from causes such as trauma, surgery, chronic inflammation, cancer, and radiation. Esophageal stenosis can create swallowing difficulty, especially with solids. A common treatment approach is to begin with

Tag: Swallowing Disorders

Silent Aspiration

Post-swallow Hypopharyngeal Reflux

Inability to Initiate Swallow

Choking

Food Lodgment

Pill Dysphagia

Delayed Swallow Reflex

Early Spillover

Esophageal Stenosis

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