In this video, I’m joined by a special guest to teach us about dysphagia symptoms and swallow problems in MS. You don’t wanna miss these her education and practical tips! To learn about Swallow Problems: Dysphagia Symptoms In Multiple Sclerosis start watching right now!
Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties.Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all.
coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, sometimes through the nose
a sensation that food is stuck in your throat or chest
persistent drooling of saliva
being unable to chew food properly
a ‘gurgly’ wet sounding voice when eating or drinking
Over time, dysphagia can also cause symptoms such as weight loss and repeated chest infections.
You should see your GP if you, or someone you care for, have difficulty swallowing or any other signs of dysphagia so you can get treatment to help with your symptoms.
Early investigation can also help to rule out other more serious conditions, such as oesophageal cancer.
Your GP will assess you and may refer you for further tests.
Read more about diagnosing dysphagia.
Treatment usually depends on the cause and type of dysphagia.
Many cases of dysphagia can be improved with careful management, but a cure isn’t always possible. Treatments for dysphagia include:
speech and language therapy to learn new swallowing techniques
changing the consistency of food and liquids to make them safer to swallow
other forms of feeding – such as tube feeding through the nose or stomach
surgery to widen the oesophagus, by stretching it or inserting a plastic or metal tube (stent)
Read more about treating dysphagia.
Dysphagia is usually caused by another health condition, such as:
a condition that affects the nervous system, such as a stroke, head injury, multiple sclerosis or dementia
cancer – such as mouth cancer or oesophageal cancer
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus
Children can also have dysphagia as a result of a developmental or learning disability, such as cerebral palsy.
Read more about the causes of dysphagia.
Dysphagia can sometimes lead to further problems.
One of the most common problems is coughing or choking, when food goes down the “wrong way” and blocks your airway. This can lead to chest infections, such as aspiration pneumonia, which require urgent medical treatment.
Aspiration pneumonia can develop after accidentally inhaling something, such as a small piece of food.
Warning signs of aspiration pneumonia include:
a wet, gurgly voice while eating or drinking
coughing while eating or drinking
difficulty breathing – breathing may be rapid and shallow
If you, or someone you care for, have been diagnosed with dysphagia and you develop these symptoms, contact your treatment team immediately,
Dysphagia may mean that you avoid eating and drinking due to a fear of choking, which can lead to malnutrition and dehydration.
Dysphagia can also affect your quality of life because it may prevent you from enjoying meals and social occasions.
If children with long-term dysphagia aren’t eating enough, they may not get the essential nutrients they need for physical and mental development.
Children who have difficulty eating may also find meal times stressful, which may lead to behavioural problems.
Page last reviewed: 19/01/2018
Dysphagia and Multiple Sclerosis
Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties.
Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all.
Other signs of dysphagia include:
coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, sometimes through the nose
a sensation that food is stuck in your throat or chest
persistent drooling of saliva
Over time, dysphagia can also cause symptoms such as weight loss and repeated chest infections.
You should see your GP if you have swallowing difficulties.
Dysphagia is usually caused by another health condition, such as:
a condition that affects the nervous system, such as a stroke, head injury, or dementia
cancer – such as mouth cancer or oesophageal cancer
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus
Dysphagia can also occur in children as the result of a developmental or learning disability.
Dysphagia can be caused by problems with the:
mouth or throat, known as oropharyngeal or “high” dysphagia
oesophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach), known as oesophageal or “low” dysphagia
Read more about the causes of dysphagia.
Treatment usually depends on the cause and type of dysphagia. The type of dysphagia you have can usually be diagnosed after testing your swallowing ability and examining your oesophagus.
Many cases of dysphagia can be improved with treatment, but a cure isn’t always possible. Treatments for dysphagia include:
speech and language therapy to learn new swallowing techniques
changing the consistency of food and liquids to make them safer to swallow
alternative forms of feeding, such as tube feeding through the nose or stomach
surgery to widen the narrowing of the oesophagus by stretching it or inserting a plastic or metal tube (known as a stent)
Read more about diagnosing dysphagia and treating dysphagia.
Dysphagia can sometimes lead to further problems. One of the most common problems is coughing or choking when food goes down the “wrong way” and blocks your airway.
If this occurs frequently, you may avoid eating and drinking because you fear choking, which can lead to malnutrition and dehydration.
Some people with dysphagia have a tendency to develop chest infections, such as aspiration pneumonia, which require medical treatment.
Dysphagia can also affect your quality of life as it may prevent you enjoying meals and social occasions.
Read more about the complications of dysphagia.
Dysphagia and Multiple Sclerosis
As some regular readers know I have been working in the field of healthcare for over a decade now. The main area I’ve worked in was that of survey research with people with various different medical conditions. One of which was multiple sclerosis which became a key part of my work.
One area we looked at was the impact of different specific symptoms on the lifestyles of our respondents and now readers. You may find this discussion blog post of swallowing difficulties of interest. In fact around 40% of people with multiple sclerosis will suffer from dysphagia or difficulty swallowing.
Anyhow this month is National Dysphagia Awareness Month and its organisers The National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders are running a survey on how best to honour the month. So I thought the best contribution our end would be to provide a link so you can take part in the research. So here it is.
Many thanks in advance.
Acoustic neuroma
An acoustic neuroma is a benign (non-cancerous) growth, or tumour, in the brain. It’s also known as a vestibular schwannoma.
An acoustic neuroma grows on the vestibulocochlear nerve, which helps control hearing and balance. This nerve runs alongside the facial nerve, which carries information from the brain to the face muscles.
The symptoms of an acoustic neuroma tend to develop gradually and can vary in severity. This can make the condition difficult to diagnose (see below).
A small acoustic neuroma can lead to problems with:
A large acoustic neuroma can cause a number of symptoms, including:
Occasionally, large neuromas can also result in muscle weakness on one side of the face. In rare cases, it may also cause changes to the voice or difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
The cause of most acoustic neuromas is unknown, but a small number of cases (about 5%) are caused by a rare, inherited condition called neurofibromatosis type 2.
Acoustic neuromas grow from the cells that cover the vestibulocochlear nerve, called Schwann cells.
Read more about the causes of an acoustic neuroma.
If your GP thinks you have an acoustic neuroma, you’ll be referred to hospital for tests.
The three types of test you may have are:
Read more about how an acoustic neuroma is diagnosed.
Acoustic neuromas tend to grow slowly and don’t spread to other parts of the brain.
They can be so small and grow so slowly that they may not cause any symptoms or problems. In such cases, the acoustic neuroma may just be monitored to avoid risks associated with surgery.
In rare cases, the tumour can grow large enough to press on the brain. However, most acoustic neuromas can be treated before they reach this stage, either with surgery to remove the tumour or radiotherapy to destroy it.
Read more about treating an acoustic neuroma.
Acoustic neuromas aren’t usually life-threatening but the symptoms can be disruptive. For example, the loss of hearing may affect your ability to communicate with others.
Speak to your GP or specialist if you feel the symptoms are having an impact on your day-to-day life. There may be ways of easing your symptoms, such as using a hearing aid or taking painkilling medication.
Read more about complications of an acoustic neuroma.