Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. When you swallow, there is a structure called the epiglottis that covers your trachea (airway) to protect it from the food or liquid you consume. The food/drink is directed to your esophagus. There are a variety of syndromes, disease, injuries, and more that can result in dysphagia. Dysphagia occurs when there is an issue with how the muscles and nerves work to move your food safely from your mouth to your stomach. This can cause people to choke or cough. Aspiration is a term you may commonly hear in association with dysphagia. This is when the food or liquid you are consuming goes into your airway. Depending on your child’s specific problem, we can help them use swallowing strategies or follow a least restrictive diet in order to eat/drink as safely as possible.

It is important to always follow swallowing recommendations and instructions as you may not always know that your child is aspirating. If there is damage to the nerves, your child may not exhibit the classic signs of aspiration such as coughing. This is called silent aspiration. Aspiration can lead to pneumonia which results from food and liquids making their way into your child’s airway.

If you’re wondering how we know if your child is aspirating, we refer them for a swallow study if we suspect they have dysphagia. Swallow studies provide visualization of the swallowing anatomy to see where the foods/liquids are going when your child swallows. The results from your child’s swallow will let us know exactly how to proceed in therapy. We may adjust positioning, utensils and vessels, introduce swallowing strategies, or thicken liquids to make your child’s swallow as safe as possible.