Wonder what it’s like to have swallowing problems? If you have ever received a local anesthetic for dental work, you know that the numbness in your mouth made it hard to eat or drink until the sensation subsided.
For someone with certain kinds of neurological or muscular problems, chronic numbness in the lips, tongue and throat cause swallowing problems. Swallowing problems result in the inability to control liquid or food in the mouth. People with swallowing problems have to struggle with drooling, coughing or even choking.
Any development of swallowing problems, such as spitting out chewed food, gagging on water, painful swallowing or feeling food getting stuck, should be discussed with your doctor. Your physician can help determine the reason and provide some solutions.
You may be referred to a speech pathologist, a rehabilitation specialist who can correct some swallowing problems by helping you strengthen the chewing and swallowing muscles and by gradually introducing different foods—pureed, soft and chopped—into your diet.
Go to the doctor if you are experiencing swallowing problems. There are solutions so that you can regain and retain your quality of life.
Felicia Gironda, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a certified Speech Language Pathologist at Beth Israel Brooklyn.