Overview of Dysphagia

This article or area is currently under construction and may only be partially complete. Please come back soon to see the finished work! (27/06/2024)

Original Editor - User Name

Top Contributors - Ewa Jaraczewska  

Introduction

Swallowing (deglutition) impairment effects individual's safety and efficacy during drinking or eating. The consequence of deglutition difficulties are malnutrition, dehydration, and increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Additionally, dysphagia has a significant impact on social and psychological well-being because eating and drinking are important social and pleasurable activities. Understanding dysphagia helps with its early detection and management and lead to reduction in patient's hospital stay, improvement in rehabilitation outcomes, and decreasing morbidity and mortality.This course discusses dysphagia as a dysfunction of one or more parts of the swallowing apparatus.

Types of Dysphagia

Dysphagia is defined as the difficulty or impossibility to swallow liquids, food or medication and can occur during the oropharyngeal or the oesophageal phase of swallowing.

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

The prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphasia varies as it depends on the screening method and the type of population tested. Symptoms may be often neglected by a patient or a caregiver and not reported to the physician.

Resources

• bulleted list
• x

or

1. numbered list
2. x