Swallowing correctly can save your life are you doing it right?

"People often assume swallowing is automatic and infallible, but I've learned it isn't. When my daughter was two months old, she caught RSV and stopped gaining weight. When she tried to feed, she coughed and sputtered, sometimes arching her back. She was soon diagnosed with dysphagia a swallowing disorder. You're lucky we caught this early, the speech-language pathologist (SLP) said, after we watched a live X-ray of my baby swallowing."

"When she fed, her airway didn't close entirely, causing a bit of formula to go down the wrong tube. The SLP explained that even a tiny amount of food or liquid entering the lungs can cause pneumonia. Luckily, treatment was easy. I added thickening powder to her baby formula. Then, I gradually reduced the amount of powder, retraining the mechanisms in my daughter's throat to swallow correctly."

"How do you swallow properly? There are simple ways to protect the health of the swallowing mechanisms. The right' way and what feels natural may be a little different for everyone, said Dr Laura Dominguez in Dallas, Texas, a board-certified otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained laryngologist specializing in voice and swallowing disorders. Key things to remember are to take appropriately sized bites, chew well, and have water or some liquid available during meals."

Swallowing can be impaired in infants and adults, leading to coughing, sputtering, poor weight gain, and risk of aspiration pneumonia. A two-month-old with RSV developed dysphagia when her airway did not close fully during feeding, allowing formula into the lungs; treatment included thickening formula and gradually thinning it to retrain swallowing. Chronic acid reflux can also cause dysphagia in adults, slowing eating and drinking. Prevention and care include taking appropriately sized bites, chewing thoroughly, and keeping liquids available during meals. Speech-language pathologists and laryngologists assess swallowing with imaging and coach paced, slower eating, especially for dry foods.

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