Swallowing Disorders
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What are Swallowing Disorders?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Organizations
What are Swallowing Disorders?
Having trouble swallowing (dysphagia) is a symptom that accompanies a number of neurological disorders. The problem can occur
at any stage of the normal swallowing process as food and liquid move from the mouth, down the back of the throat, through
the esophagus and into the stomach. Difficulties can range from a total inability to swallow, to coughing or choking because
the food or liquid is entering the windpipe, which is referred to as aspiration. When aspiration is frequent a person can
be at risk of developing pneumonia. Food may get "stuck" in the throat or individuals may drool because they cannot swallow
their saliva. Neurological conditions that can cause swallowing difficulties are: stroke (the most common cause of dysphagia);
traumatic brain injury; cerebral palsy; Parkinson disease and other degenerative neurological disorders such as amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), multiple sclerosis, progressive supranuclear palsy, Huntington
disease, and myasthenia gravis. Muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy are accompanied by dysphagia, which is also the
cardinal symptom of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, a rare, progressive genetic disorder.
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research (NIDCR) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, Room 5B-55 Bethesda, MD 20892 nidcrinfo@mail.nih.gov http://www.nidcr.nih.gov Tel: 301-496-4261 |
National Institute on Deafness and
Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, MSC 2320 Bethesda, MD 20892-2320 nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov http://www.nidcd.nih.gov Tel: 301-496-7243/800-241-1044 800-241-1055 (TTD/TTY) |
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
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Last updated July 02, 2008