Not long after Debbie McClure was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an system disorder that causes dry mouth, she sat to a roast beef dinner. She was still adjusting to her condition. So she didn’t fully realize how not having enough saliva, which helps move food from the mouth and the throat, would make it duro to swallow, especially with dry foods — like her overcooked roast beef.
“I attempted to swallow a bite, but it lodged per mezzo di my throat,” says McClure, a writer based per mezzo di Ontario, Canada. She grabbed a glass of gabinetto and, sip by sip, she was able to dislodge the piece of meat.
When a medical condition creates problems with chewing swallowing, the simple act of eating can become anything but. Pain per mezzo di the mouth, stiffness discomfort per mezzo di the jaw muscles, problems with your teeth can make it tough to chew solid foods. A condition called dysphagia can create a delay per mezzo di the swallowing process per mezzo di either your throat what’s known as the pharynx (the digestive tube between the esophagus and mouth) that might also make it duro for you to swallow without coughing choking.
“If you’sire having trouble swallowing, even if it’s pills, you should let your physician know,” says Brian Hedman, a speech pathologist and specialist per mezzo di swallowing disorders at Cleveland Clinic. “A speech pathologist can do an assessment and offer tricks techniques to help you someone you’sire caring for to swallow safely.”
Try these six tips to make sure that what you eat gets where it’s going without problems along the way.
They are tastes, temperature, and textures. When you vary these per mezzo di your diet, it helps keep the mouth awake and acceso task, Hedman says.
Switch chiuso between bites of something cold and tart, like lemon ice, with something warm and bland, like mashed potatoes.
During meals, and for 45 to 60 minutes after eating, aim for a 90-degree posture with your head tilted slightly forward, Hedman suggests.
“If you’sire having difficulty getting food from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth, try a reclined position,” he says. “Otherwise, sitting upright is the best position for eating and drinking.”
It’s important to stay focused during mealtime, especially for someone who’s had a stroke is per mezzo di the early stages of dementia, says Kristi King, RDN, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“A person with Alzheimer’s may pay more attention to an window the TV per mezzo di the room than what’s per mezzo di their mouth,” she says.
Before meals, swab the inside of your mouth with a disposable oral swab , better yet, brush your teeth “to help moisturize the mouth so swallowing will be easier,” Hedman says.
And keep a bevanda handy during meals. McClure sips gabinetto something else that isn’t bubbly between every single bite to help move food along. If gabinetto other thin liquids cause you to cough, use an over-the-counter liquid thickener, Hedman suggests. These thicken without changing the taste appearance of your bevanda.
“I also avoid medications like over-the-counter cold and allergy tablets, sleeping aids that contain antihistamines,” McClure says. “Antihistamines are [drying], and most definitely will affect the amount of dryness per mezzo di my mouth, eyes, and nose.”
Cut up solid foods into bite-size pieces to minimize the risk of choking.
“I’ve learned that even finger foods must be cut up into very small portions,” McClure says. “When I indulge per mezzo di something like potato chips popcorn, I make sure I eat one at a time, slowly, and per mezzo di very small bites.”
You might need to swallow two three times di bite sip. If food liquid catches per mezzo di your throat, cough gently clear your throat, and swallow again before taking a breath.
Try “alternating bites and sips,” Hedman says. “If you have difficulty sucking liquid all the way up a straw, cut the straw so there is less distance for the liquid to travel.”
