Getting The Right Dysphagia Treatment

By Jennifer Lee

The thing about the human body is that it is stupidly breakable. A person takes a wrong step, trips over something that is maybe a centimeter or so tall, and then they can break their leg in five different places and blow their knee out. The scale of human durability goes from being able walk through everything short of a nuclear blast to being torn apart by a weak gust of wind. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, but on some cases, they may go from one end to the other, but which direction they go can be somewhat random. Now, a single disease can really mess up the system. When that disease strike, it may do well to seek out things like dysphagia treatment.

Dysphagia is an illness. It is a disease that is characterized chiefly with the difficulty in swallowing. It can create the sensation of food being stuck in throat or in the chest.

There are two types of the disease. As such, there are two main factors that cause it. In the first, the nerves or the muscles that facilitate swallowing are affected or damaged in some way. In the second, the esophagus itself has been compromised, either made narrower or thinner in some way, making it harder for food to pass through.

The most clear symptom is that foods and liquids do not pass normally through the mouth into the stomach. It can also cost pneumonia. Choking and coughing are also common signs that something has gone seriously wrong.

Help is not going to be hard to find. The thing about people is that they almost always live in communities. Those communities are invariably going to have a clinic or a hospital of some sort. Now, finding these facilities is a task that should be easily accomplished with the aid of the internet.

The thing about people is that they are not invincible and never have been. Sure, human beings have an amazing capacity to heal. But that capacity can only go so far. There are limits to it. Luckily, those limits can be extended with things like medicine and surgery. Unfortunately, there are many different kinds of medicine, so knowing what to take can be a puzzle, and surgery is so complex that doing it wrong can lead to death.

Of course, time is of the essence. Now, going to a top of the line hospital three hours away may not be an option for a lot of people. So proximity has to be considered. Travelling can exacerbate symptoms.

When a person goes to work in the morning, they render that labor with the understanding that they will be paid for it. Aside from their paycheck, they are also given benefits. These benefits will include healthcare coverage. So, when a person falls ill, then that healthcare coverage comes into play.

The thing about living is that it can be brutal. There are times when it can seem more like an arduous task than anything else. But that does not mean that help should not be sought, because that aid that is needed is out there.

About the Author:

You can get a detailed overview of the things to keep in mind when selecting a dysphagia treatment option at http://www.swallowstudy.com right now.

A Quick Guide To Understanding The Essentials Of The Dysphagia Diet

By Peter Bell

Health conditions like stroke, dementia and different neurological problems can eventually cause issues with swallowing. Such is something that can heighten not only choking risk, but also dehydration as well as malnutrition. With the help of the dysphagia diet, a person who is having difficult time swallowing may enjoy considerably lowered risk of ending up with the many dangers involved.

This special form of diet has the primary objective of providing the person varying consistencies of solids and liquids for the attainment of trouble free swallowing. The patient will find all of them so much easier to masticate. Furthermore, having them moved around in the mouth is almost effortless, and this can help considerably keep foods and beverages from ending up in the lungs by going down the airway instead of the esophagus.

Foods and liquids suitable for people who are suffering from dysphagia are classifiable into many different ways. They are done based on thickness, which can range anywhere from very thin to solid but in bite sized portions. However, medical experts say that different people with difficulty in swallowing have varying needs and challenges to be addressed.

In order to attain the required thickness of foods and liquids, certain ingredients may be added during the preparation or cooking stage. Thickening agents are commonly used in order to achieve the perfect consistency. These ingredients are ideal for providing meals that have the consistency of mashed potato, making them trouble free to chew and swallow.

Thickeners are commonly handy when it comes to making various liquids simpler and safer to swallow. Just about anything from yogurt to green tea may be thickened to considerably eliminate risk of choking. The significance for every person to stay well hydrated cannot be emphasized enough, and anyone who has trouble swallowing is at high risk of becoming dehydrated.

Other than using a thickening agent, pureeing can also help in making solids more suitable for anybody who has a swallowing problem. Just about any solid food that you can think of can be pureed prior to serving. They include poultry, fish and meats. While it's true that vegetables are on the list, corn and peas should not be included.

With so many options to choose from when it comes to making dysphagia friendly meals, no person who has the condition need to end up malnourished and dehydrated. Especially if the issue stems from a serious medical condition, being properly nourished and hydrated matters so much. Through such, it can be easier to promote or maintain optimum health.

Varying food groups have to be considered to ensure that the individual may get as many kinds of nutrients as possible. The right amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, fat and micro nutrients can be obtained with the help of variety. Malnutrition is avoidable through a little creativity in the kitchen.

Valuable health advice can be obtained from people who are experts with swallowing problems. For example, a speech language pathologist is an authority when it comes to swallowing and other types of life adjustments. A registered dietitian, on the other hand, can provide vital nutrition related advice.

About the Author:

Our website has all the latest info you require about dysphagia diet. To reach the main homepage, simply follow this link on http://www.swallowstudy.com/dysphagia-advanced-diet-patient-handout.

Some Essential Concepts Regarding Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention

By Martha Wilson

Apart from microbial infections, pneumonia can also be as a result of aspiration of gastric contents. This usually comes about when there is no control of flow of digested food. Instead of being propelled downwards along the gastrointestinal tract, the food is diverted to the wrong path, the respiratory tract. Individuals who are highly susceptible to this problem include the elderly, those being nursed in an intensive care unit and those preparing to go for surgery. The importance of aspiration pneumonia prevention especially among the susceptible groups cannot be overemphasized.

Insertion of a nasogastric tube helps a great deal in ensuring a patient does not aspirate. The tube runs from the nostril all the way to the stomach where food is delivered. It is secured with tape to make sure that it does not accidentally get dislodged. Nasogastric tube placement is normally indicated for individuals with paralyzed muscles of the esophagus.

The doctor can request for a check radiograph (X-ray) to ensure that tube has been correctly placed. One should also ensure the tube remains patent by administering only liquids and partial solids. The tubes need to be cleaned from time to minimize the risk of infection. Another precaution to be undertaken is that the caregiver should make sure that the food being administered is not too hot to cause damage to the tube and corrosion to the stomach lining.

In the event that an tube cannot be inserted even after several attempts, an alternative should be sought. Nutrients can reach the body through an infusion that runs via an intravenous system. Placement of a tube or setting up parenteral nutrition should only be used once it has been ascertained that the individual cannot tolerate any oral feeds.

One of the medical conditions that may require placement of a nasogastric tube is stroke which typically occurs among the elderly. Those with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes are at a high risk of getting a stroke. In persons affected by stroke, certain muscles suddenly become paralyzed. Doctors need to do a swallow test for patients presenting with stroke in order to adjust their feeding in the event that their swallowing is compromised.

The importance of nursing the patient in a propped up position cannot be overemphasized. Elevating the head of the bed not only keeps the patient comfortable but it also ensures that any food remnants are directed downwards along the gastrointestinal tract. The patient can also be made to lie on one side to minimize regurgitation.

Patients being nursed in intensive care units over a long period of time are also likely to aspirate. Apart from propping them up and feeding them through a nasogastric tube, intubation also helps to separate the trachea from the food pipe. Those with chronic conditions also need to be monitored closely for any complications that may arise. This includes doing imaging studies of the lungs to detect any abnormalities.

In a nutshell, it should be noted that aspiration pneumonia commonly occurs in conditions where muscles in the esophagus are compromised. This typically happens among the aged, those neuromuscular disease and those in coma. Caregivers need to be patient when feeding these individuals to ensure they do not develop pneumonia due to aspiration. Placing a nasogastric tube for feeding goes a long way in preventing aspiration pneumonia for those whose muscles are completely paralyzed.

About the Author:

Find the best aspiration pneumonia prevention strategies by visiting our official site today. To access our clinician resources and our patient handouts, go to http://www.swallowstudy.com/?page_id=320 right now.