On September 27, 2008, the US Congress passed a bipartisan statute which declared June as National Dysphagia Awareness Month. Dysphagia Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about what dysphagia is, its symptoms, causes, available...
Reducing aspiration risk is always important for anyone with a known swallowing problem, but with today’s current health crisis, avoiding a trip to the hospital due to an aspiration pneumonia should be a top priority for people living with dysphagia. Along with...
Respiratory Muscle Strength and Pulmonary Hygiene It is understood and accepted by nurses and speech-language pathologist, that aggressive oral care for patients in hospitals and nursing homes can reduce the incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia. For patients with...
Last week I presented a community lecture on Swallowing problems associated with Parkinson’s disease. When presenting information to an audience of people with Parkinson’s (PWP), I try to provide up to date information gathered from the dysphagia research. I also try...
Like many of the insidious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, sensori-motor changes in speech and swallowing are thought to be among the earliest symptoms, even pre-dating motor symptoms, and because they may initially present as subtle problems, such as drooling or...
Respiratory muscle weakness is associated with adverse outcomes for intensive care (ICU) patients, including difficulty weaning from mechanical ventilation, increased mortality, and increased risk of ICU re-admissions.[i] Because of this, several researchers have...
