Swallowing is an automatic response that happens most often in a day to day lives. Most people take it for granted just as they do breathing or walking. The truth is that the difficulty in swallowing can cause huge problems in someones life. These problems are termed as dysphagia and they can manifest in various ways. There are symptoms that one looks for when they need to know if they have swallowing disorders.
Coughing is a major sign to look out for this disorder as it should not happen when eating or right after you swallow the food. It could get so bad that one may not be able to finish their food or even drink. At such a point then you know you have the disorder, because right after you stop eating or drinking, it also stops. It could lead to blockage of the food or wind pipe by the food or drink which is very dangerous.
Having the psychological trauma of choking often leads to the individuals eating very slowly. They also tend to chew for a very long time hence spend a lot of time when eating. They may avoid eating altogether or avoid doing it when they are near anyone. Once they chew, they swallow very slowly, with the fear that they might chock, which is not necessarily the case.
Some people especially children will have food stuck in the mouth when being fed. The food ends up leaking at the corners of the mouth because they have difficulty trying to swallow. Another symptom is having a congested chest immediately after eating. Some of these signs are not related, and one cannot know that they are symptoms of the problem. Some people will live with the disorder for most of their life and never suspect it.
Weight loss is a common phenomenon in people who have the problem. This is because they do not eat enough for the fear to choke. The food pipe is often in pain and the chest blocks hence they lack the appetite for any meal. Other signs that could hinder proper eating are wounds in the mouth as whenever the affected person tries to eat, it gets very painful.
People with this problem have a high risk of aspirating food. This is whereby the food goes into the air pipe and into the lungs. This can cause fatal problems including pneumonia and chronic lung infections. Whatever the cause of the problem whether physical or psychological, it should be addressed as soon as possible.
In case of sores, one can take some steps to relieve the pain. Food eaten can be mashed to make it easier to swallow. It can also be made bland with minimum or no spices to reduce the acidity. This will reduce the irritation of the throat when one tries to swallow food. Such problems can cause one to have embarrassments when it comes to eating in public.
The psychological trauma that comes with the disorder is enormous, especially when eating in a public place. Hence such people avoid the meal altogether. One could visit a doctor or change their diet to include soft meals as well as adopting slow eating.
You can visit www.swallowstudy.com for more helpful information about Some Signs And Remedies For Swallowing Disorders.