Signs

There are many different signs and symptoms associated with dysphagia. If you find swallowing difficult you may be reluctant to admit you have a problem. So if any of the signs below match what happens to you, try and talk to someone about it and ask your GP for advice.

• You swallow repeatedly
  
  
• You cough and splutter frequently



• Your voice is unusually husky and you often need to clear your throat



• When you try to eat you dribble. Food and saliva escape from your mouth or even your nose



• You find it easier to eat slowly



• You quite often keep old food in your mouth, particularly when you have not had a chance to get rid of it unseen



• You feel tired and lose weight

Symptoms

The severity of symptoms partly depends on whether food and drink gets stuck in your oesophagus for a short time or even completely. If food does become stuck, it may cause some discomfort or pain in the chest as it passes down to your stomach. If you have experienced this blocked feeling it can last for hours, and you may have resorted to making yourself sick in order to dislodge the food.

It is hardly surprisingly, that if eating and drinking causes you that sort of distress, you have sometimes avoided eating and drinking altogether.

The trouble is that if you do not eat and drink regularly, further difficulties can develop that may lead to more serious problems. For a start you become dehydrated and begin to lose weight. This in turn can lead to the development of malnutrition: quite simply you are absorbing too little protein and calories to stay healthy.

Furthermore, with vitamin and mineral intake so low, your immune system is also under threat. If this is the case you may find that injuries such as cuts take longer to heal, you seem to catch more infections, and over time your physical and mental abilities may begin to deteriorate.

The most serious hazard is when food and drink leaks into the airways (the medical term for this is aspiration). This can lead to the development of serious chest infections or pneumonia.

If you feel that you fall into any of the risk groups above, it is important to recognise this and seek help immediately, similarly, if you know someone who seems to be in this situation and are showing the relevant signs and symptoms, you need to advise them to seek help.

As many as 70 per cent of people who suffer from swallowing difficulties are not entirely aware of the extent of their problem.