Dysphagia or swallowing disorders commonly affect patients receiving care from physicians in the office, as nursing home residents and as hospital inpatients. Patients often complain of dysphagia due to medical problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, cerebrovascular accidents, stroke, Parkinsons disease and side effects of medications. Patients who have had a stroke are at a high risk of aspiration because of swallowing disorders.
Anyone can suffer from dysphagia, but this condition has severe consequences for the seniors. Swallowing disorders can also result in aspiration pneumonia and death. It is advisable to consult with a doctor if you often experience difficulties when swallowing or if regurgitation, weight loss or vomiting accompanies your swallowing disorder. You should call for emergency help immediately, if an obstruction prevents you from breathing properly. By performing a dysphagia evaluation, speech-language physicians and doctors can determine the cause of the issue.
Doctors use various tests to determine the cause of swallowing problems. One of these tests is the barium X ray. The physician will ask you to drink a barium solution, which will coat your esophagus so that it will be more visible on X-rays. Your physician will be able to see changes in the shape of the esophagus and can evaluate muscular activity. Your physician can also ask you to swallow a pill or solid food that is coated with barium to examine the muscles in the throat while you are swallowing it to check for blockages that the barium solution cannot identify.
The other test that doctors perform is the dynamic swallowing study. During this test, you will swallow foods coated with barium and have different consistencies. The test will provide an image of these foods while they are traveling through the mouth and down the throat. The images may show issues in the way your mouth and throat muscles coordinate as you swallow and determine if the food is getting into your breathing tube.
Doctors also perform an endoscopy. This procedure involves examining the esophagus using a thin, lighted and flexible device known as an endoscope. Physicians may also take biopsies of the esophagus to determine if a tumor, eosinophilic esophagitis, narrowing or inflammation is present.
Doctors also perform manometry, also referred to as the esophageal muscle exam. During this exam, physicians insert a tiny tube into the esophagus. They then connect this tube to a pressure recorder to measure the contractions of the muscles of the esophagus when swallowing.
Your doctor can also perform imaging scans to determine the cause of your dysphagia. These scans may include a CT scan, which combines computer processing and several X ray views to create cross sectional images of the bones and soft tissues. The doctor may also perform an MRI scan, which uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create detailed images of tissues and organs.
Once your speech-language pathologist or physician is through with the test, he or she will discuss the outcome with you and your family if need be. He or she will then recommend safe and efficient drinking and eating. The professional will also inform you about the most suitable treatment depending on the type or cause of your swallowing disorder.
Anyone can suffer from dysphagia, but this condition has severe consequences for the seniors. Swallowing disorders can also result in aspiration pneumonia and death. It is advisable to consult with a doctor if you often experience difficulties when swallowing or if regurgitation, weight loss or vomiting accompanies your swallowing disorder. You should call for emergency help immediately, if an obstruction prevents you from breathing properly. By performing a dysphagia evaluation, speech-language physicians and doctors can determine the cause of the issue.
Doctors use various tests to determine the cause of swallowing problems. One of these tests is the barium X ray. The physician will ask you to drink a barium solution, which will coat your esophagus so that it will be more visible on X-rays. Your physician will be able to see changes in the shape of the esophagus and can evaluate muscular activity. Your physician can also ask you to swallow a pill or solid food that is coated with barium to examine the muscles in the throat while you are swallowing it to check for blockages that the barium solution cannot identify.
The other test that doctors perform is the dynamic swallowing study. During this test, you will swallow foods coated with barium and have different consistencies. The test will provide an image of these foods while they are traveling through the mouth and down the throat. The images may show issues in the way your mouth and throat muscles coordinate as you swallow and determine if the food is getting into your breathing tube.
Doctors also perform an endoscopy. This procedure involves examining the esophagus using a thin, lighted and flexible device known as an endoscope. Physicians may also take biopsies of the esophagus to determine if a tumor, eosinophilic esophagitis, narrowing or inflammation is present.
Doctors also perform manometry, also referred to as the esophageal muscle exam. During this exam, physicians insert a tiny tube into the esophagus. They then connect this tube to a pressure recorder to measure the contractions of the muscles of the esophagus when swallowing.
Your doctor can also perform imaging scans to determine the cause of your dysphagia. These scans may include a CT scan, which combines computer processing and several X ray views to create cross sectional images of the bones and soft tissues. The doctor may also perform an MRI scan, which uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create detailed images of tissues and organs.
Once your speech-language pathologist or physician is through with the test, he or she will discuss the outcome with you and your family if need be. He or she will then recommend safe and efficient drinking and eating. The professional will also inform you about the most suitable treatment depending on the type or cause of your swallowing disorder.
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