Dysphagia or swallowing disorders commonly affect patients receiving care from physicians in the office, as nursing home residents and as hospital inpatients. Patients often complain of dysphagia due to medical problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, cerebrovascular accidents, stroke, Parkinsons disease and side effects of medications. Patients who have had a stroke are at a high risk of aspiration because of swallowing disorders.
Dysphagia can affect people of any age and can have serious consequences for the elderly. Swallowing disorders can cause aspiration pneumonia and death. If you regularly face difficulties swallowing, or if regurgitation, vomiting or weight loss accompanies your dysphagia, you need to see a doctor. If you are unable to breathe well due to an obstruction, seek for emergency assistance immediately. A dysphagia evaluation enables doctors and speech-language pathologists to determine what is causing the swallowing problem.
To determine the cause of swallowing disorders, physicians use various tests. The barium X ray is one example of these tests. You will be asked to drink a barium solution that coats the esophagus making it more noticeable on X-rays. Your doctor will notice changes in the shape of your esophagus. The professional can also examine muscular activity. You may also be asked to swallow solid food or a pill that has a barium coating to evaluate the muscles in your throat as you swallow to see whether any blockages that cannot be identified by the barium solution exist.
Doctors also perform a test called the dynamic swallowing study. They ask patients to swallow food with a barium coating and it differs in consistency. The dynamic swallowing study provides doctors with an image of the foods as they travel through the mouth and go down the throat. The pictures can show problems in the coordination of the mouth and throat muscles when a patient is swallowing food. The doctor can also find out if food is getting to the breathing tube.
A doctor can also examine your esophagus visually. This is known as an endoscopy. The doctor will pass a flexible, thin, lighted instrument (endoscope) to examine your esophagus. Your physician can also take a biopsy of your esophagus to check for inflammation, narrowing, eosinophilic esophagitis or a tumor.
Doctors also perform manometry, also referred to as the esophageal muscle exam. During this exam, physicians insert a tiny tube into the esophagus. They then connect this tube to a pressure recorder to measure the contractions of the muscles of the esophagus when swallowing.
Your doctor can also perform imaging scans to determine the cause of your dysphagia. These scans may include a CT scan, which combines computer processing and several X ray views to create cross sectional images of the bones and soft tissues. The doctor may also perform an MRI scan, which uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create detailed images of tissues and organs.
After the evaluation, the doctor or speech-language pathologist will discuss the results with you and your family if necessary. The doctor may ask you to avoid eating certain food items or change the thickness of the liquids you consume. The doctor will also recommend the most appropriate treatment depending on the cause or type of dysphagia you have.
Dysphagia can affect people of any age and can have serious consequences for the elderly. Swallowing disorders can cause aspiration pneumonia and death. If you regularly face difficulties swallowing, or if regurgitation, vomiting or weight loss accompanies your dysphagia, you need to see a doctor. If you are unable to breathe well due to an obstruction, seek for emergency assistance immediately. A dysphagia evaluation enables doctors and speech-language pathologists to determine what is causing the swallowing problem.
To determine the cause of swallowing disorders, physicians use various tests. The barium X ray is one example of these tests. You will be asked to drink a barium solution that coats the esophagus making it more noticeable on X-rays. Your doctor will notice changes in the shape of your esophagus. The professional can also examine muscular activity. You may also be asked to swallow solid food or a pill that has a barium coating to evaluate the muscles in your throat as you swallow to see whether any blockages that cannot be identified by the barium solution exist.
Doctors also perform a test called the dynamic swallowing study. They ask patients to swallow food with a barium coating and it differs in consistency. The dynamic swallowing study provides doctors with an image of the foods as they travel through the mouth and go down the throat. The pictures can show problems in the coordination of the mouth and throat muscles when a patient is swallowing food. The doctor can also find out if food is getting to the breathing tube.
A doctor can also examine your esophagus visually. This is known as an endoscopy. The doctor will pass a flexible, thin, lighted instrument (endoscope) to examine your esophagus. Your physician can also take a biopsy of your esophagus to check for inflammation, narrowing, eosinophilic esophagitis or a tumor.
Doctors also perform manometry, also referred to as the esophageal muscle exam. During this exam, physicians insert a tiny tube into the esophagus. They then connect this tube to a pressure recorder to measure the contractions of the muscles of the esophagus when swallowing.
Your doctor can also perform imaging scans to determine the cause of your dysphagia. These scans may include a CT scan, which combines computer processing and several X ray views to create cross sectional images of the bones and soft tissues. The doctor may also perform an MRI scan, which uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create detailed images of tissues and organs.
After the evaluation, the doctor or speech-language pathologist will discuss the results with you and your family if necessary. The doctor may ask you to avoid eating certain food items or change the thickness of the liquids you consume. The doctor will also recommend the most appropriate treatment depending on the cause or type of dysphagia you have.
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