We are all familiar with the effect of muscle degeneration on muscular tasks such as walking and dressing; this normal degeneration also affects swallow safety, to the extent where a person’s health and well-being can be compromised. Typical signs of difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) include;
Coughing when eating or drinking
A feeling of food getting stuck
Sneezing or eye watering
Wet or gurgly voice
Recurrent Chest Infections
Clear links exist between aspiration (food and drink “going down the wrong way”) and medical sequelae such as dehydration, malnutrition, respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, and hastened death. At The Speech Centre our goal is clear; to help our clients sustain safe oral nutrition to the maximum of their ability, through diet modification, compensatory strategies, postural changes and rehabilitation exercises.