When a person suffers from a swallowing disorder, it can cause considerable issues, not only when it comes to eating and swallowing, but even when it comes to speaking, since you have to balance speaking out words and sounds while also working to breathing in air and moving your vocal cords and throat at the same time. Learn the importance of speech therapy for swallowing disorders below.
Signs of a Swallowing Disorder
A person who suffers from a swallowing disorder could experience coughing during or right after they eat or drink, or they may have to clear their throat right after eating or drinking. They may exhibit a gurgly or wet voice during or after drinking or eating. They may also have a hard time breathing after eating as well.
Assessment and Diagnosis
When using speech therapy for swallowing disorders, the first step for a speech language pathologist (SLP) is to assess and diagnose the exact swallowing issues a person is having. The SLP will also ask about the person’s medical history to see if other causes and conditions may exist that lead to these swallowing disorders. This disorder can often occur after a traumatic injury to the brain or spinal cord. The SLP will also examine how well the person moves their mouth muscles.
Developing a Treatment Plan
The SLP will likely recommend the person to exercise their mouth muscles to better chew and swallow their food. In addition, speech therapy for swallowing disorders can help to exercise the mouth muscles in order to maintain better control when speaking to others. This can help to improve the person’s swallowing ability both in eating and in speaking to others.
Obtaining a Better Quality of Life
Speech therapy can lead to the person having a better quality of life because they are not as self-conscious about their swallowing difficulty when eating or when speaking to others. This can lead to more social inclusion, also helping to improve their quality of life.
