How Do We Swallow and What Can Go Wrong?

For many people, swallowing is an automatic and frequent daily activity. However, some people experience difficulties with swallowing, also called dysphagia, which can include trouble swallowing specific kinds of foods or drinks, or even not being able to swallow at all. It can be common for dysphagic people to cough up anything they eat or drink, to choke, or to feel as if food is stuck in the throat or chest. The inability to eat or drink properly can take away from fun social events like parties and outings. Since dysphagia can cause many problems both physically and emotionally, it is important to identify warning signs and seek treatment. Dysphagia can be managed and treated by speech-language pathologists, who make recommendations for types of foods to eat, assign exercises to strengthen swallowing muscles, and offer other ways to make living with dysphagia a lot easier.