Trouble Swallowing? How a Speech-Language Pathologist Can Help
Most people do not think about swallowing until it becomes difficult. However, swallowing is a complex process that requires the brain, nerves, and many different muscles to work together. When something disrupts that process, it can lead to a swallowing disorder known as dysphagia.
Dysphagia can affect a person’s safety, nutrition, hydration, and overall quality of life. It may also make eating feel stressful rather than enjoyable.
What Are the Signs of Dysphagia?
Swallowing difficulties can look different for everyone. Common signs of dysphagia may include:
Coughing or choking while eating or drinking
A wet or gurgly-sounding voice after swallowing
Food feeling stuck in the throat
Difficulty chewing or moving food around the mouth
Food or liquid remaining in the mouth after swallowing
Needing multiple swallows for one bite or sip
Taking longer than usual to finish meals
Avoiding certain foods or liquids
Unexplained weight loss or dehydration
Frequent respiratory infections or aspiration pneumonia
Difficulty swallowing pills
Some people may aspirate without coughing. This is called silent aspiration and occurs when food, liquid, or saliva enters the airway without an obvious outward response.
What Causes Swallowing Problems?
Dysphagia may occur following a stroke, traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, radiation treatment, surgery, or a prolonged hospitalization. It may also be associated with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, or dementia.
Other factors, including weakness, reduced sensation, poor coordination, structural changes, and certain gastrointestinal conditions, may also contribute to swallowing difficulty.
How Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluate Swallowing?
A speech-language pathologist, or SLP, is trained to evaluate and treat swallowing disorders. A clinical swallowing evaluation may examine oral movement, chewing, swallowing symptoms, medical history, and how a person manages different foods and liquids.
In some cases, an instrumental swallowing study may also be recommended. This may include:
A Modified Barium Swallow Study (MBS), which uses a moving X-ray to show how food and liquid travel through the mouth and throat
A Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), which uses a small flexible camera to view the throat and swallowing structures
These evaluations help determine what is happening during the swallow and allow treatment recommendations to be based on the person’s actual swallowing physiology.
What Does Swallowing Therapy Include?
Swallowing therapy is highly individualized. Exercises and strategies should be selected based on the specific swallowing impairment identified during evaluation—not simply given as a general strengthening program.
Treatment may include:
Exercises targeting specific areas of weakness or reduced coordination
Strategies to improve swallowing safety and efficiency
Changes in positioning, pacing, or bite and sip size
Education for clients, families, and caregivers
Recommendations for food or liquid consistency when appropriate
Respiratory muscle training when clinically indicated
Oral hygiene education to help reduce the risk of complications
Practice using strategies during functional meals
The goal of dysphagia therapy is to help each person eat and drink as safely, efficiently, and independently as possible while maintaining quality of life.
Swallowing Therapy in Buffalo and West Seneca, NY
If you or a loved one is coughing during meals, having difficulty swallowing pills, avoiding certain foods, or experiencing other changes in swallowing, an evaluation may help determine the next step.
Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology provides individualized swallowing evaluations and dysphagia therapy for adults in Buffalo, West Seneca, and throughout Western New York. We work closely with clients, families, physicians, and other healthcare providers to develop functional treatment plans based on each person’s needs and goals.
Contact Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology today to learn more or schedule a consultation.
Phone: 716-202-8616
Email: kpaler@back2youslp.com
Location: 40 Gardenville Parkway W, Suite 216, West Seneca, NY 14224
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