There are patients who, due to some or other condition, find it hard to swallow food. This can lead to dire consequences, like aspiration, dehydration, malnutrition, and other undesirable conditions. To solve this quandary, caregivers and family members would have to craft a specialized dysphagia diet.
There are many facets to this disease, the most common one is the esophageal version, in which the food or the liquid get stuck at the esophagus. Many conditions contribute to this, such as stomach acid reflux, which causes inflammation in the said passageway. Thereafter, afflicted persons get the feeling that the substances are wedged somewhere in their chest. Extreme pain is always imminent. Hernia, cancer, and muscle disorders are also likely causes
A pureed diet is the most generally recommended for dysphagia. That means the comestibles should be soft, smooth, cohesive, and homogeneous. The difficulties may lie in meeting the adequate nutritional needs, like calories, proteins, and some such. There are also the mechanical soft foods, which are accordingly mashed, chopped, ground, blended, and whatnot. Soft diets include cooked vegetables, tender meat, hot cooked cereals, soft cheeses, ice cream, et cetera. If none of those make the cut, a patient may have to opt for thickened liquids like broth based soups and others.
However, dysphagia is pretty much a specialized condition by itself. There can be many facets to it. People may experience it in different gradations, others may find it hard to eat solids, while other are struggling with drinking. Therefore, they need different particularities to their food, such that they may need it to be springy or they need it to be firm.
When eating, the dysphagic patient should sit upright. If bedridden, then he should be propped up by support pillows. The position is absolutely necessary for safe swallowing, and even after eating, it has to be maintained for thirty minutes at least. All these countermeasures are meant to mitigate whatever chances are left to incur aspiration.
The first thing to do in this regard is, of course, getting a diagnosis. Dyshagia may not be the condition per se, but the symptom to some root cause. Once this is established, you would likely need the expertise of different kinds of health providers, from dietitians, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, on top of your physician.
In order to preclude these actualities, one should keep up with other exercises used to counter dysphagia. For example, he or she should do swallowing exercises, which must have been advised by the therapist. Also, it would not do to change diets right off the bat after the slightest signs of improvement. Ask the permission and go signal of your physician first.
The diets vary in their consistency and texture, and they should be adhered to if effectiveness is to be assured. The best diets are nutritionally adequate by themselves. However, because of particularities unique to the patient, it may be hard for him or her to get enough nutrients. Adjustments should therefore be accordingly made. Aside from that, there are corresponding concerns on liquids and calories. Like any workaday person, the patients need up to 8 glasses of water a day, and where they are difficult to swallow they must be thickened. Similarly food can be fortified by protein and calorie when the patient eats difficultly.
While on this diet, you should aid the patient in doing necessary practices, like swallowing exercises. Make sure that they do not go off with medicine. Be particular and indefatigable in mentioning that the patient is on a dysphagia regimen. Even when you observe improvements, talk to a healthcare specialist first before you decide to skive off the whole fasting. Follow all instructions down to the dot, and remember to watch out for dire symptoms like worsening trouble in swallowing, vomiting, and unpremeditated weight loss.
There are many facets to this disease, the most common one is the esophageal version, in which the food or the liquid get stuck at the esophagus. Many conditions contribute to this, such as stomach acid reflux, which causes inflammation in the said passageway. Thereafter, afflicted persons get the feeling that the substances are wedged somewhere in their chest. Extreme pain is always imminent. Hernia, cancer, and muscle disorders are also likely causes
A pureed diet is the most generally recommended for dysphagia. That means the comestibles should be soft, smooth, cohesive, and homogeneous. The difficulties may lie in meeting the adequate nutritional needs, like calories, proteins, and some such. There are also the mechanical soft foods, which are accordingly mashed, chopped, ground, blended, and whatnot. Soft diets include cooked vegetables, tender meat, hot cooked cereals, soft cheeses, ice cream, et cetera. If none of those make the cut, a patient may have to opt for thickened liquids like broth based soups and others.
However, dysphagia is pretty much a specialized condition by itself. There can be many facets to it. People may experience it in different gradations, others may find it hard to eat solids, while other are struggling with drinking. Therefore, they need different particularities to their food, such that they may need it to be springy or they need it to be firm.
When eating, the dysphagic patient should sit upright. If bedridden, then he should be propped up by support pillows. The position is absolutely necessary for safe swallowing, and even after eating, it has to be maintained for thirty minutes at least. All these countermeasures are meant to mitigate whatever chances are left to incur aspiration.
The first thing to do in this regard is, of course, getting a diagnosis. Dyshagia may not be the condition per se, but the symptom to some root cause. Once this is established, you would likely need the expertise of different kinds of health providers, from dietitians, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, on top of your physician.
In order to preclude these actualities, one should keep up with other exercises used to counter dysphagia. For example, he or she should do swallowing exercises, which must have been advised by the therapist. Also, it would not do to change diets right off the bat after the slightest signs of improvement. Ask the permission and go signal of your physician first.
The diets vary in their consistency and texture, and they should be adhered to if effectiveness is to be assured. The best diets are nutritionally adequate by themselves. However, because of particularities unique to the patient, it may be hard for him or her to get enough nutrients. Adjustments should therefore be accordingly made. Aside from that, there are corresponding concerns on liquids and calories. Like any workaday person, the patients need up to 8 glasses of water a day, and where they are difficult to swallow they must be thickened. Similarly food can be fortified by protein and calorie when the patient eats difficultly.
While on this diet, you should aid the patient in doing necessary practices, like swallowing exercises. Make sure that they do not go off with medicine. Be particular and indefatigable in mentioning that the patient is on a dysphagia regimen. Even when you observe improvements, talk to a healthcare specialist first before you decide to skive off the whole fasting. Follow all instructions down to the dot, and remember to watch out for dire symptoms like worsening trouble in swallowing, vomiting, and unpremeditated weight loss.
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