Dysphagia

The most common type of dysphagia is delayed or absent initiation of the pharyngeal stage of the act of swallowing, and 80 to 90 percent of CVA (stroke) patients who exhibit dysphagia have this type of problem (McCaffrey, 2001). Most of these patients have more than one type of swallowing problem. Patients with pharyngeal stage problems keep trying to push the bolus of food into the pharynx with the tongue, and eventually succeed. The path the food takes after this happens depends on three things: the posture of the patient, the consistency of the food, and size of the bolus. Small amounts of a thicker bolus will usually lodge in the pharyngeal recess rather than going directly down the airway.

When the patient moves the tongue to try and push the bolus into the pharynx, the movements of the tongue and hyoid bone look as if the patient is swallowing, and it may be difficult to tell whether or not the patient is aspirating (McCaffrey, 2001). Patients may aspirate without coughing, and food may also be lodging in the pharyngeal recess which can hold several teaspoons of material before it is aspirated. Silent aspiration occurs in from 40 percent to 70 percent of p

Related Essays

Common type of Dysphagia The most common type of dysphagia is delayed or absent initiation of the pharyngeal stage of the act of swallowing, and 80 to 90 percent of CVA (stroke .... (793 3 )

Anatomy of Swallowing .... can be responsible for Dysphagia. However, I will focus on ALS which has two forms, spinal and bulbar, and the CVA. .... Dysphagia 8: 23-28 (1993). .... (799 3 )

Guillain-Barre syndrome .... GBS patients may have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or imperfect articulation of speech due to disturbances of muscular control (dysarthria) Immunotherapy .... (854 3 )

Issues in Speech and Language Pathology .... certification and training, healthcare services financing, and the development of school-based services that address the condition known as dysphagia. .... (880 4 )

The Anatomy of the Swallowing Process .... Next, it describes the types of problems encountered in dysphagia - abnormal swallowing - and how these can occur at various points in the swallowing process .... (3021 12 )

Category: Medical - D