As common as these problems are, they are often
overlooked. The symptoms and situations listed above –
frequent throat-clearing, a runny nose while eating, and
meals that take forever – are but some of the clues that
suggest your loved one has a swallowing problem that
could be life-threatening.
I have to admit that it was a difficult realization for me. It
was a lot easier to blame others for my decisions and the
problems in my life. It was much harder to acknowledge the
role I played in setting myself up for a life I didn’t want.
IT’S NOT JUST THE ELDERLY
You don’t have to be 65 or older to have a swallowing
problem. Persons with a wide variety of medical and
neurologic disorders are vulnerable. These disorders
include stroke, multiple sclerosis, cancer, ALS, myasthenia
gravis, head injury, congestive heart failure, and COPD.
HERE ARE SOME TYPICAL SCENARIOS:
A 49-year-old man with multiple sclerosis was able to
chew. But after he swallowed, some food remained in
his throat. It was sucked into his airway; and, because his
cough was so weak, the material made its way to his lungs
to cause pneumonia.
A 56-year-old woman treated for salivary gland cancer
had an extremely dry mouth and exquisitely painful
sores inside her cheeks. Chewing was painful and made
eating unpleasant, leaving her feeling drained physically
and emotionally.
A 64-year-old woman with a recent stroke had difficulty
drinking liquids. They caused fits of coughing that brought
tears to her eyes. A bout of pneumonia put her back into
the hospital and delayed her neurologic recovery.
AS FOR THE ELDERLY:
A 72-year-old man with Parkinson disease did everything
slowly. That included swallowing. Food often got stuck in
his throat and caused him to cough and gag.
An 82-year-old man with Alzheimer was extremely
distractible and could no longer use a fork or spoon. He
had also “forgotten” what to do with food once it was in
his mouth. A single swallow could take three minutes or
longer. Not surprisingly, he frequently became dehydrated.
WHAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF
These are some of these things people complain of when
they have a swallowing problem:
“The food doesn’t go down.”
“I have to swallow more than once.”
“My nose runs at mealtimes.”
“Pills get stuck in my throat.”
“I cough when I drink water.”
“The food falls out of my mouth.”
“I have a hard time eating steak.”
“When I swallow, juice goes up my nose.”
“It hurts when I swallow.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to choke.”
“My voice sounds funny after I eat.”
“I get so tired, I can’t finish a meal.”
“What do you expect? I’m old.”
Sometimes, however, a person has no complaint at all
– but a very real problem with swallowing.