Every June, ahead of hurricane season, those of us who live in Florida get the same reminder: attend a hurricane preparedness seminar, gather your supplies, check your shutters, and know your evacuation zone. New residents are especially encouraged to go — because being caught off guard by a storm is far more dangerous than being ready for one.
I thought about that recently while putting together a community presentation on swallowing and Parkinson’s disease. The parallel was impossible to ignore. Just like a hurricane, dysphagia — difficulty swallowing — isn’t a matter of if for most people with Parkinson’s, but when. Research tells us swallowing symptoms affect somewhere between 80 and 100 percent of people with a Parkinson’s diagnosis over the course of the disease. That’s a big number, and I don’t share it to alarm anyone. I share it because preparedness beats surprise, every time — and there’s a lot you can do, starting today, to be ready.
So I built the idea out further for that presentation, and I want to share it with you here: a Swallowing Preparedness Kit for people with Parkinson’s.
Know the Warning Signs
Just as a hurricane preparedness class teaches you to read the signs of an approaching storm, it helps to know the signs of an approaching swallowing problem. Watch for:
- Coughing or throat clearing during or after eating
- A history of aspiration pneumonia or recurrent upper respiratory infections
- Drooling, especially during the day — daytime drooling is strongly associated with “silent aspiration,” aspiration that happens without an obvious cough
- A wet or gurgly-sounding voice during or after eating
None of these symptoms mean you should panic. They mean it’s time to pay attention — and, ideally, to talk with your medical team before a problem becomes a crisis.
Build Your Kit
Once you know what to watch for, here’s what belongs in your Swallowing Preparedness Kit:
- Good oral hygiene, and aspiration/reflux precautions if your team has recommended them
- Early referral to a swallowing therapist — don’t wait for a crisis to ask for one
- Consistent adherence to your medication schedule
- Consistent adherence to your swallowing exercise recommendations
- Respiratory strengthening exercises, for pulmonary hygiene and a strong, effective cough
- General exercise for strength, mobility, and fall prevention
- A plan to notify your neurologist if you’re ever hospitalized
- A way to notify hospital or nursing facility staff about your medication schedule
- A standing request for assistance with positioning at mealtimes
Why This Matters
Parkinson’s is a chronic disease, one you’re likely to live with for many years. That’s not a small thing to sit with. But here’s what I want you to hold onto: swallowing function, like so many other Parkinson’s symptoms, can be improved. Dysphagia risk can be reduced. Behavioral strategies and targeted exercise genuinely make a difference — and the earlier you start, the more options you have.
For 18 years in private practice, I partnered with Swallowing Diagnostics Inc., a mobile provider offering the Modified Barium Swallow Study — essentially a video x-ray of the swallow in action. Being able to actually see your own swallowing physiology, rather than just hear me describe it, changes things. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words — and when patients can see their own anatomy at work, they’re often far more motivated to follow through on the strategies and exercises that will help.
You don’t have to wait for a storm to prepare for one. Talk to your medical team, know your warning signs, and start building your kit today.
Visit our website: www.voiceaerobicsdvd.com to learn more about speech and swallowing and the available products and programs.
My Mission: To enlist individuals in their treatment, and help them express their personality & spirit through voice. To educate and empower. Mary Spremulli, MA, CCC-SLP * FiTOUR® Group Exercise Instructor * Certified End of Life Specialist (CEOLS) * Voice Aerobics® A Whole Body Approach to Voice Practice