Important Pointers On Dysphagia Treatment

By Frances Harris


Having difficulties more than once when swallowing your food is a clear sign that there is something wrong with your throat or oesophagus. The condition also known as Dysphagia is one that makes it uncomfortable or even painful when trying to enjoy a meal. Seeking Dysphagia Treatment is important as it will help you find out where the exact problem is and what the causes are.

Being in this kind of situation may cause you to have a problem when swallowing food after chewing on it. It is associated with pain when swallowing and makes eating to be a very uncomfortable process. The condition is however, not similar to occasional chocking or difficulties caused by eating fast or not chewing your food properly. Dysphagia is quite common among the elderly and babies.

There are some situations that lead to the malfunctioning of the oesophagus which is key when digesting food. The muscles in the gut may not work well after having a stroke, brain or spinal injury. Having immune system problems may lead to the inflammation and weakness of the muscles making it hard to swallow. Some nervous problems such as Parkinsons disease and multiple sclerosis contribute as causes of dysphagia.

Having growth or masses in the walls of the gut such as oesophagus tumors, lymph nodes may cause you to feel that your gut is blocked. Another condition that gives off this sensation is GERD. This occurs when the stomach releases its acid back up to the throat, causing ulcers on the walls of the gut which forms ulcers. The ulcers formed cause scars on the walls and narrows it down.

This condition has a number of symptoms that clearly depict its presence. One of the most commonly known is the difficulty in swallowing your first bite of food or even liquids. Feeling the pain when eating may cause you to eat less which leads to weight loss. Having the food and liquid coming back up to your throat or even through your mouth and constant coughing, chocking and gagging are clear signs of Dysphagia.

Upon taking note of these symptoms, it is advisable to visit the doctor. This condition is diagnosed through a thorough check up with a doctor who will further refer you to a specialist who will treat you in regards to where the condition is being felt. You will be taken through a number of questions to assess how you exactly feel, point out where you feel the food is being stuck and how long you have been having this condition among other queries.

You will further be taken through further tests to find out the causes of dysphagia. Such include having throat x rays. The treatment process also depends on what is causing the difficulty. Some of the processes you can be involved in is exercises to train your muscles on how to properly lead food down your throat into your stomach. This also includes positioning your body well so as to swallow well.

In addition to exercises, you will be asked to change your meal plan, eating things that are not difficult to swallow. For some scenarios, a surgery is needed to remove things that are blocking your gut. The specialist will also give you medicines to prevent GERD and to treat infections.




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