Food intake in people with dysphagia

Digestion of food is a posh and elaborative course of involving interaction between food-mouth-gut-brain. It begins within the mouth with the structural breakdown of the meals adopted by oral mechanisms comparable to biting, chewing, mastication, transportation, bolus formation and at last swallowing. Unsuccessful execution of any of the steps of meals processing within the mouth, for instance, problem in swallowing referred to as dysphagia, can hamper the method of digestion. Dysphagia causes diminished meals consumption resulting in dietary deficiency which may contribute to infections, ailments and deteriorating well being. Dysphagia is a well known downside, particularly among the many aged (affecting about 30 to 60%), attributable to age-related physiological modifications. Therefore, folks with dysphagia want particular meals with required texture and consistency that they’ll swallow safely. 

What’s dysphagia?

Folks with Dysphagia face problem in swallowing stable, semisolid and even liquid meals stuffs. For instance, very skinny liquids could result in aspiration (misguided entry of the meals or liquid within the air passage) whereas very thick liquids could cause choking. It’s extra widespread in infants and aged. Nonetheless, it may additionally happen in lots of different medical circumstances comparable to trauma, most cancers, surgical procedure, cerebral palsy, stroke, and different neurological circumstances. As a consequence of elevated life expectancy, with enhance in variety of folks with outdated age, the prevalence of dysphagia is prone to enhance.

Why it happens?

Swallowing includes many nerves and muscle tissue current within the mouth to facilitate chewing, mixing and pushing the meals in the correct path taking care to forestall it from coming into into the airway. Therefore, any points on this course of can set off the swallowing difficulties. Muscle weakening attributable to growing old is among the causes that the aged folks encounter downside in swallowing. In folks receiving chemotherapy and radiation for head and neck most cancers, it may happen attributable to dangerous influence of the drug or radiations on the quickly rising cells of the throat lining.

What are the signs of dysphagia?

The everyday signs encountered by folks with dysphagia embrace coughing, gagging, chest ache, feeling of meals choking within the throat and even signs like heartburn or hoarseness.

What are the implications of dysphagia? 

Aspiration attributable to dysphagia can contribute to lung issues comparable to pneumonia.

Diminished meals consumption can contribute to diminished power, resulting in lethargy and decrease exercise, impacting the general performance of the physique.

Moreover, meals consumption has a wider scope, past diet. For instance, meals offers happiness by means of its style and flavors, the meals texture enhances consuming expertise and notion concerning the meals. Therefore, it’s not only a organic course of, it’s a healthful expertise that provides pleasure. Dysphagia hampers gaining this expertise.

Meals consuming can be a cultural and social exercise. When folks with dysphagia usually are not capable of take part in such actions or once they keep away from social meals and gatherings attributable to inconvenience attributable to the situation, it may influence their social life resulting in social isolation, unfavourable emotional problems, melancholy and poor high quality of life.

Administration of dysphagia 

The overall suggestions about meals texture for dysphagia diets is that it’s smooth, easy, moist, elastic, and simple to swallow. Nonetheless, the precise suggestion about the kind of meals  is dependent upon the diploma of dysphagia and the extent of impairment which varies from individual to individual. For instance, folks with gentle dysphagia could need to chorus from consuming very exhausting, sticky meals whereas folks with extreme situation could require pureed meals. Some folks can safely swallow skinny liquid however face problem swallowing meals that has combined consistency whereas some folks discover it exhausting to swallow even their very own saliva. 

Therefore, the diploma of dysphagia and impairment must be assessed for optimum administration of people with dysphagia. 

What are the options being supplied?

Texture and consistency (hardness, adhesiveness and viscosity) of the meals are the vital components that may be improved to facilitate swallowing. In the direction of this, texture-modified food regimen and thickened liquids are developed. The methods are additionally developed to change the feel of assorted varieties of meals comparable to meat, rice, starch, carbohydrates, together with vegetables and fruit. 

The mandatory modifications want to make sure that the dietary worth is saved intact, and the meals provides comfort and enhances the expertise whereas consuming. It’s equally essential to additionally measure texture, style, really feel within the mouth, high quality, storage, stability and shelf lifetime of the modified meals.

Such modified meals must also be accessible in numerous ranges of consistency for administration of dysphagia in numerous people at totally different phases of the remedy. 

In case of liquid, some folks could have problem in gulping down liquids which have skinny consistency and in that case xanthan gum thickener could be added to imitate the consistency of honey and facilitate swallowing.

There are additionally lubricant gels or fluids that can be utilized to help in swallowing complete pill or capsule.

Suggestions for folks with dysphagia

Aside from particular meals, a number of different tricks to alleviate dysphagia and preserve the dietary consumption embrace

• Eat extra frequent small meals
• Prepare dinner effectively to make the consistency of the meals smooth
• Combine stable meals with gravy or yogurt to melt it
• Enhance consumption of liquid meals
• Use straws to slowly sip the liquids
• Desire meals and drinks which are straightforward to chew and swallow

Conclusions

Dysphagia influences many elements of dwelling a standard life. Due to this fact, it’s crucial to search out options, not simply to allow elevated meals consumption and optimum nutrient uptake but in addition to alleviate related signs, problems, worry of chewing and swallowing that additional influence the general consuming expertise and high quality of life.

Dimple Rajgor, PhD, is an skilled author in academia and the pharmaceutical sectors. Her experience consists of medical analysis and medical writing. By way of her work she hopes to contribute to medical analysis in any capability she will.