Swallowing problems, diagnostics and treatments in South Louisiana region is the subject of the day. Swallowing difficulty cause : Your thyroid is a gland found in your neck just below your Adam’s apple. A condition that increases the size of your thyroid is called a goiter. Read more about the causes and symptoms of goiter. Esophagitis: Esophagitis is inflammation of the esophagus that can be caused by acid reflux or certain medications. Learn more about the types of esophagitis and their treatments.
Specific volumes of food per swallow may result in faster pharyngeal swallow responses. Clinicians modify the bolus size (i.e., bigger/smaller bolus amounts), particularly for patients that require a greater volume to adequately stimulate a swallow response or for patients that require multiple swallows per bolus. Patients may also require cuing and assistance to maintain an appropriate rate during meals. Impulsivity and/or decreased initiation are examples of cognitive deficits evident across a number of disorders that may affect a patient’s pace during meals. Postural techniques redirect the movement of the bolus in the oral cavity and pharynx and modify pharyngeal dimensions in a systematic way. Postural techniques may be appropriate to use with patients with neurological impairments, head and neck cancer resections, and other structure damage. Postural techniques may be used in patients of all ages. Examples of postural techniques include the following: Chin-down posture —the chin is tucked down toward the neck during the swallow, which may bring the tongue base closer to the posterior pharyngeal wall, narrow the opening to the airway, and widen the vallecular space. Find extra info on South Louisiana Swallowing Diagnostics.
These diets are all nutritionally adequate. However, some patients may have difficulty taking enough fluid and food to get all the energy and nutrients they need. In this case, an adjustment to diet or treatment will be required. Fluids are essential to maintain body functions. Usually 6 to 8 cups of liquid (48-64 oz) are needed daily. For some dysphagia patients, this may present problems because thin liquid can be more difficult to swallow. In this case, fluid can be thickened to make it easier to swallow. However, close monitoring by the dysphagia team is required for anyone drinking less than 4 cups of thickened fluid a day or anyone not progressing to thin liquids within 4 weeks. The greater problem for some patients is eating enough calories. The whole process of eating simply becomes too difficult and too tiring. However, calorie and protein intake can be increased by fortifying the foods the patient does eat.
Bringing endoscopic video swallow studies to your facility’s front door. Since opening our doors to patients back in 2017, Dysphagia in Motion has been a leading Swallowing Diagnostics Provider for patients in the South Louisiana region. We care about the well-being of our patients and guarantee top of the line diagnostic services to help your rehab team get them back to full health. Contact us today and see how we can help improve patient outcomes at your facility. Discover additional info on https://www.dysphagiainmotion.com/.