Also called: Also called: Dysphagia
If you have a swallowing disorder, you may have difficulty swallowing and may also have pain while swallowing. Some people may be completely unable to swallow or may have trouble swallowing liquids, foods or saliva. This makes it hard to eat. Often, it can be difficult to take in enough calories and fluids to nourish your body.
Anyone can have a swallowing disorder, but it is more likely in the elderly. Swallowing problems often happen because of other conditions, including
- Nervous system disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and cerebral palsy
- Problems with your esophagus, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Stroke
- Head or spinal cord injury
- Cancer of the head, neck, or esophagus
Medicines can help some people, while others may need surgery. Swallowing treatment with a speech-language pathologist can help. You may find it helpful to change your diet or hold your head or neck in a certain way when you eat. In very serious cases, people may need feeding tubes.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Dysphagia
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/dysph.asp
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Swallowing Disorders(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/swallowing_disorders/swallowing_disorders.htm
- Difficulty Swallowing(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/difficulty-swallowing/DS00523/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Swallowing Trouble(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/swallowingTrouble.cfm
- Diagnosis of Swallowing Problems(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.org/swallowing-problems/diagnosis.html
- Difficulty Swallowing(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/difficulty-swallowing/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Upper Endoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/upperendoscopy/
- Oromandibular Dystonia (Cranial Dystonia)(Dystonia Medical Research Foundation) - http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/pages/oromandibular_dystonia_more_info/48.php
- Swallowing Problems After Head and Neck Cancer(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) - http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/SwallowingProbs.htm
- Esophageal Spasms(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/esophageal-spasms/DS00763/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Your Digestive System and How It Works(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/yrdd/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Deglutition Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Deglutition+Disorders%22
- Can Thickened Liquids or Chin-Down Posture Prevent Aspiration?(American College of Physicians) - http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/148/7/I-39
- Article: Dysphagia in elderly nursing home residents with severe cognitive impairment... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18843429&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Eosinophilic esophagitis: an increasingly recognized cause of dysphagia, food impaction,... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18788223&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The clinical management of dysphagia in primary care. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18773758&tool=MedlinePlus
- Swallowing Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(deglutition+disorders[majr]+NOT+gastroesophageal+reflux[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- swallowing difficulty - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=swallowing+difficulty
- Find a Professional: Online Directory of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Programs(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) - http://www.asha.org/proserv/
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association - http://www.asha.org/
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
- Dysphagia (in Children)(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site815/mainpageS815P0.html
- Feeding and Swallowing Disorders in Children(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) - http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/FeedSwallowChildren.htm
- Esophagus Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/esophagusdisorders.html
- GERD - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gerd.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Swallowing Disorders is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
Swallowing Disorders - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/swallowingdisorders.html