” You wouldn’t believe that chewing on a piece of bread is cause for concern,” says Jeff
Cleveland, president of Clear Choice Health Care.

” But it can be,” admits Cleveland. He states there is a fine balance in between chewing and breathing. When a medical or neurologic disorder interferes with the stability between the two, breathing and swallowing can become alarmingly out of sync.

Parkinson disease, for example, slows down our movement. Not only are legs and arms included, however the tongue is likewise. Problem chewing, moving food along, and lastly swallowing can trigger coughing and gaging.

Strokes can also trigger problem while drinking liquids swallowing strong foods and produce high threats for developing aspiration pneumonia with readmittance to a healthcare facility that can delay neurological healing.

The condition of multiple sclerosis makes it difficult to swallow. Sometimes, a few of the food gets left behind in the throat and can be sucked into the respiratory tract. Food material makes its method to the lungs to trigger pneumonia because cough muscles become weak.

Another swallowing wrongdoer originates from Alzheimer’s illness. For those clients, a single swallow might take three minutes or longer. As the disease progresses, many times it leaves patients on the verge of dehydration, and patients can forget what to do with food when it’s in the mouth.

Swallowing rehab experts report that neurological diseases can offset a normal swallow. An irregular swallow can cause can result in severe complications such as dehydration, malnutrition, and a higher rate of infection and aspiration pneumonia.

According to swallowing professionals, aspiration can result from problems at any phase of the swallowing process:

An absence of saliva or weak chewing muscles

Poor tongue control

Lack of coordination in between breathing and swallowing; a malfunctioning swallowing reflex with incomplete taste buds closure or weak throat (pharyngeal) muscles that can’t push the food down

a scarred ring of muscles (sphincter) that are accountable to completely allow food passage – or caught food at the back of the throat due to an incompetent sphincter.

Consulting with a doctor is best if you have actually a couple of noted complaints, as follows:

– The food doesn’t appear to decrease
– With one spoonful, I need to swallow more than as soon as.
– When I consume, tears concern my eyes
– At mealtimes, my nose runs
– Pills seem to get stuck in my throat
When I consume water, – I usually cough
– Food frequently falls out of my mouth
– I have a difficult time eating a steak
When I swallow, – Juice goes up my nose
When I swallow, – It hurts
– After I eat, my voice sounds funny

Because of a physiological flaw that we share with most other air-breathing vertebrates, it’s regular to choke if things go down the wrong method. Our breathing tube, (the windpipe or trachea), isn’t separate from the one we use for swallowing, the esophagus. Anything we ingest all share the same commute, but right around the Adam’s apple, the trachea branches off.

” Choking regularly may be cause for concern,” states Cleveland. “If you think you’re in harm’s method, seek a physician’s suggestions. Ask if a speech language pathologist can promote a much safer swallow.”

Jeff Cleveland is the President of Clear Choice Health Care in Melbourne FL