Dysphagia is a condition where the patient have difficulty in swallowing. It’s usually caused by certain medicines or another condition, such as acid reflux or a stroke.
Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or drinks, while others cannot swallow at all.
Coughing or choking when eating or drinking
Bringing food back up, sometimes through the nose
A feeling that food is stuck in your throat or chest
Wet-sounding voice when eating or drinking
Over time, dysphagia can also cause symptoms such as weight loss, dehydration and repeated chest infections.
There are many possible causes of dysphagia, including:
Dry mouth
A dry mouth can make it harder to swallow. Dry mouth can be due to :-
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Esophagitis, or inflammation of the esophagus, can also occur due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This causes frequent acid reflux, which is when stomach acid moves back upward into the esophagus.
Physical differences or obstructions
Physical differences in the size or structure of the mouth, throat, or esophagus can lead to problems swallowing.
Brain injury or stroke
Any condition that damages the part of the brain responsible for controlling swallowing can potentially lead to dysphagia.
Neurodegenerative conditions
These conditions cause a gradual and progressive deterioration in nerve and brain function. Some of the common neurodegenerative conditions are :-
Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, resulting in symptoms. Autoimmune diseases that can affect swallowing include:
Dysphagia can be treatable if proper treatment is taken. Majority of physiotherapy centre do not provide treatment for Dysphagia. At Arunalaya healthcare you can easily treat Dysphagia with the help of advanced physiotherapy. The treatment includes :-
Manual Therapy :-
The major problem in case of Dysphagia is the tightness of throat muscles. Manual therapy is performed where the therapist releases the tightness of throat muscles manually. In manual therapy several techniques are performed in order to enhance the function of the muscle.
Mobilization and exercises :-
In Dysphagia patients it’s very important to mobilize the larynx in order to improve the ability to swallow and to improve the speech. Several exercises are also performed in which the therapist applies pressure at the throat and as a reflex patient tries to swallow the saliva or water.
Vital Stim :-
Vital Stim plays the key role in stimulating the throat muscles which helps the muscle to regain the strength and helps the patient in swallowing.
There are several modes and electrode placements for Dysphagia patients.
