Difficulty swallowing, scientifically called dysphagia or swallowing disorder, can be caused both by nervous changes and by situations related to the esophagus or throat, it is important that the cause is identified so that an adequate treatment can be established and, thus , there is an improvement. in the quality of life of the person.
Difficulty swallowing can be quite uncomfortable for the person and cause nutritional deficiencies, so it is important to start treatment with exercises that favor swallowing and changing diets, focusing on pasty and crushed foods.
- Although it seems simple.
- The act of swallowing is complex and highly coordinated between the brain and the muscles present in the throat and esophagus.
- As a result.
- Any changes related to the brain or muscles involved in swallowing can cause difficulty swallowing.
- Such as:.
Difficulty swallowing food is a natural change, especially in the elderly, due to relaxation and lack of coordination of the muscles involved in swallowing.
The treatment of difficulty swallowing should be directed against its cause, however, the cause cannot always be resolved and therefore it is recommended to redouble care with the feeding of this individual. To avoid malnutrition and subsequent suffocation that can be life-threatening, the diet should be pasty.to facilitate swallowing and avoid choking on very solid or very liquid foods.
In addition to dietary changes, exercises may be performed to improve the swallowing process in addition to the use of certain medications.Understand how dysphagia is treated.
It is important that foods consumed by those who have difficulty swallowing are crushed, and liquid should be added to reach the consistency of the puree, and that they are squealing after crushing.Cold foods such as yogurt, ice cream, and vitamins can relieve pain when swallowing.
If the person does not have much appetite, it is recommended that at lunch and dinner have a single dish containing meat, fish or eggs and vegetables, so that with a single small volume all the basic and varied nutrients are available.Good options are soups with beef battered in blender and vegetable purees with egg or minced meat.
Discover a pasty diet menu option for those who have trouble swallowing.