Do you or a loved one frequently cough or choke while eating or drinking?
You might have a swallowing problem and not even know it. You may not realize your swallowing is weak or infrequent.
Signs of a swallowing problem may include:
-Choking
-Frequent coughing
-Throat clearing
-Wet-sounding voice
-More effort to swallow
-Pain with swallowing
-Drooling or leaking liquids or food out of your mouth
-Food “getting stuck” on the way down.
Did you know a person swallows approximately 600 times a day?
A swallowing disorder can seriously interfere with a person’s quality of life. Swallowing difficulties limit what you eat and drink, can keep you from going out to dinner, and diminish the joy of socialization that often surrounds mealtime.
Here at Windom Area Health, our speech therapist can evaluate you and work with you to enable you to eat/drink without coughing/choking. Talk with your doctor about a referral to speech therapy. We then schedule an evaluation with our speech therapist, discuss a plan for services and determine a therapy schedule that works for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Rehabilitation Department at: 507-831-0634. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Blog Written By: Joann Anderson, CCC-SLP
Sources:
John Hopkins Medicine
American Speech, Language and Hearing Association