Patients receive help with difficulties in swallowing
BRUSH, Colo. (June 30, 2009) – The Alonzo Petteys Rehabilitation Center at East Morgan County Hospital has a speech therapist that is trained to treat people with dysphagia.
Dysphagia causes interruptions of coordinated muscle movement or sensitivity to texture which often results in frequent coughing and choking, aspiration, dehydration, weight loss, or pneumonia. Causes of dysphagia include head injury, stroke, neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, head and neck cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, birth defects and developmental disabilities. Both children and adults are affected. Related problems in tolerating some food textures, loss of or heightened oral sensation, maintaining adequate nutrition, and social isolation due to embarrassment have been documented.
According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association, almost half of those living in skilled nursing facilities and about 30 percent of stroke survivors have some level of dysphagia.
Several kinds of testing identify causes of swallowing problems and possible options for treatment. A speech language pathologist, radiologist, and radiology technician are involved in a modified barium swallow study. This procedure is a video of actual food being swallowed; the assessment allows professionals to look at the anatomy and muscle movements in detail. Clinical evaluation by a trained speech language pathologist provides a great deal of information about the way a person swallows. It may indicate more detailed tests need to be given and immediate actions to prevent possible aspiration.
When swallowing difficulties prevent a person from taking enough nutrition to sustain life, several kinds of tubes are available. The main goal of a feeding tube is to detour food around a faulty swallowing mechanism for adequate food intake on a short or long term basis or until therapy can restore the oral swallow to safe levels.
Changes in diet, food intake positioning, and specific techniques for safe swallowing are part of treatment for swallowing problems. A patient’s need for social interaction, resumption of work and education are also addressed. It is possible for a person to receive tube feedings for a long period of time and be trained to swallow food orally. When this isn’t possible, many people can eat some foods orally and continue to receive tube feedings to get most of their nutrition. Sometimes simple changes in food intake allows a person to swallow safely again. Expanding research in this field contributes a great deal to the patient’s options and health maintenance.
For more information about dysphagia or any other rehabilitation questions, call (970) 842-6239.
About East Morgan County Hospital
East Morgan County Hospital in Brush, Colo. is licensed by the state of Colorado and certified by Medicare as a 25-bed critical-access hospital. Designated as a Level IV Trauma Center, East Morgan includes a newly remodeled 24-hour Emergency department with three trauma bays, one surgery suite, one recovery room, one endoscopy room, and one outpatient surgery suite.
