Swallowing disorders in Parkinson's

What is dysphagia?

With dysphagia (swallowing disorders or) the patient has difficulty swallowing solid or liquid food, or he must cough. Nearly one third of parkinsonian patients experience this symptom to (1). Swallowing disorders may certainly not be underestimated: there are great risks involved, such as malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia. Malnutrition is a patient at risk for weight loss, which can have an impact on his overall health. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when the food in the windpipe, instead of the esophagus.

What are the causes?

Someone with Parkinson's may have dysphagia for several reasons:

• it is not enough saliva, which he chews the food bad and wrong swallows.
• the jaw and tongue weaken. The tongue, the food can not flatten it, pressing against the palate and the pharynx pushing.
• the neck muscles weaken. This drops the food into the esophagus difficult.
• malfunction of the various muscle groups.

Speech therapy addresses with dysphagia

Speech therapy helps the cause. Sometimes the speech problem (temporarily) fix or slow the development of dysphagia. The speech therapist examines the swallowing reflex of the patient, the position of the neck and head while eating and eating habits. By making small adjustments to perform, it can get very good results. Depending on the evolution of dysphagia diet to fit the patient. At first the patient avoids difficulty swallowing foods like peanut butter. Then the patient can go for chopped or blended food. Eventually, with a special liquid diet may be exaggerated powder. This prevents the patient from the food enters the windpipe.

Train your muscles

Speech therapy also has a preventive function. The speech therapist focuses more specifically on the chewing muscles through facial exercises. If the patient is no longer able, speech therapist massages the face and the inside of the mouth. Also by talking loudly, the Parkinson's patient is exercising muscles.

(1) Walker, RW, Dunn JR, Gray WC. Self-reported dysphagia and its correlates within-a prevalent population of people with Parkinson's disease.