The most common response I get when I introduce myself to a new client as a speech therapist is, “Speech? I have no problem speaking!” to which I often jokingly reintroduce myself as the “Swallow-ologist”.

Dysphagia, or disordered swallowing, is more common than you think, and it can lead to aspiration. Aspiration is the event in which food or liquid goes down the “wrong pipe” and enters the airway, potentially the lungs, which may cause severe respiratory illness, including aspiration pneumonia.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website (asha.org), dysphagia is conservatively estimated to affect between 13-38% of elderly individuals who are living independently and more than 60% of those living in skilled nursing facilities.

Most commonly, dysphagia is associated with people who have had a stroke, but other diagnoses can be risk factors as well. People with Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and MS (multiple sclerosis) are at high risk for developing dysphagia. As many as 57% of people with dementia develop difficulty swallowing. Head and neck cancers can also be associated with dysphagia. Even COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and CHF (congestive heart failure) can lead to dysphagia.

The speech therapist’s role is to evaluate the swallow function, determine the nature of the dysphagia, and to design treatment plans according to that person’s needs for safety as well as quality of life.

As a private practice speech therapist who does home-based, person-centered therapy, my goal is always your goal.

Treatment is designed according to what will best fit into your lifestyle and needs, whether that is exercise to strengthen the swallow muscles, compensatory strategies to reduce discomfort while eating, recommending modifying food and liquid textures for safer intake, or a combination of all of these.

If you notice you or a loved one with frequent coughing while eating or drinking, throat clearing chronically during meals, or a wet and gurgly vocal quality after intake, you/they may be at risk for aspiration.

If you or a loved one have difficulty manipulating foods to chew and swallow them, notice drooling or poor oral management of food and/or liquid, require excessive time to complete a meal, or often have food left in the mouth after the swallow, you/they may be at risk for aspiration.

Eating and drinking with family and friends is so important to my quality of life, as I am sure it is yours. If you are concerned about you or your loved one’s swallowing safety and function, contact BPeck Speech and Swallowing for a complimentary initial consult today!