According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 nearly 6% of adults between 45-64 years old in the United States had a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This number increased to greater than 10% for adults 65 and older. It’s more commonly diagnosed in folks who smoke, those who have lower incomes, and interestingly, is more common in rural areas like ours.

But what does that have to do with speech therapy?

People with COPD can present with multiple symptoms that the speech therapist can treat:

1. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)

2. Poor respiratory strength, which can affect both voice and cough

3. Cognitive impairment (due to hypoxia, or low oxygen)

For now, let’s focus on swallowing.

When we swallow normally, we coordinate the closure of our airway (the trachea) and the opening of the food tube (esophagus) with our breathing. We essentially begin exhaling, hold our breath momentarily while the airway closes to swallow, and then resume exhaling before taking a new breath. (Try it: take a drink and notice “exhale-swallow-exhale”).

People with COPD are more likely to have poor breath-swallow coordination during a COPD exacerbation, inhaling the food or liquid they are trying to swallow.

People with COPD are also more likely to have less sensation in the throat, which would normally cue them to cough and clear any food or liquid that may be entering or near the airway. They are also more likely to have a weakened cough, which reduces ability to clear the airway of any food or liquid that enters.

Because of these complications, people with COPD are at higher risk to aspirate - in other words, food and liquid entering the airway and potentially the lungs.

Aspiration can lead to pneumonia, which is a common reason for hospitalization for those with COPD.

The primary goal of BPeck Speech and Swallowing is to help people maintain their safety, independence, and quality of life at home. Preventing hospitalization is a huge part of that.

Swallowing therapy for people with COPD can be an essential tool to prevent hospitalization and ensure your swallowing safety.

Therapy may focus on improving your airway protection through strengthening exercise, improving your breath-swallow pattern, training compensatory swallow strategies to reduce risk of aspiration, or a combination of all of the above.

If you have COPD and have noticed changes to your swallow, or if you have been diagnosed repeatedly with pneumonia, swallowing therapy with BPeck Speech and Swallowing can help!

Call or email Brittany today for a complimentary initial phone consult!