Swallowing disorder of Dysphagia is a medical condition in which the affected person faces difficulties in swallowing solids or liquids down the food pipe or esophagus to the stomach. It is often termed as a symptom or sign of some other disease or disorder. However, as it is gradually increasing among many, it can be treated as an issue that needs distinct attention and should be dealt with separately.
Swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata varies according to the symptoms, causes and the severity of the disorder. There can be many causes of Dysphagia, some of which are –
- Damage of the nervous system caused from –
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- Strokes – a disease in which damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply.
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- Brain injury – in patients with traumatic brain injury, the anatomic and physiologic status of the swallowing mechanism may be impaired, thus resulting in Dysphagia.
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- Spinal cord injury – Dysphagia is caused from acute cervical spinal cord injuries.
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- Cerebral palsy – a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting movement, muscle tone or posture.
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- Parkinson’s disease – a long-term disorder of the central nervous system that affects motor system, which controls movement of a person. As a result, the person may suffer from frequent tremors, and might experience rigidity of body, slowness of movement and difficulties in walking.
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- Alzheimer’s disease – a progressive disease that destroys memory and other mental functions of a person gradually, hence resulting in a breakdown of the general mental health of the affected person.
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- Multiple sclerosis – a disease in which the immune system destroys the protective covering of nerves.
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- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) – a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and affects their physical function.
- Muscular dystrophy – a group of genetic diseases that gradually weakens down the skeletal muscles and decreases their mass.
- Problems affecting the head and the neck –
- Injury or surgery undergone in the head or neck area
- Malignant cancerous cells in mouth, throat, or esophagus
- Dental problems, like decayed or missing teeth, or even improperly fitted false teeth
Knowing the right cause of Dysphagia is extremely important as it will direct you to the right treatment methods. Therefore, it would be dangerous to delay in visiting a recognised centre for swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata.
There are various swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata and they may vary depending on the cause and severity of the problem. Only a trained Speech Language Pathologist can identify the right cause of Dysphagia after performing a detailed analysis of your medical histories, and would start your treatment accordingly. If you want to know about the various swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata that are available at different centres, let us have a quick look at them:
- The Speech Language Pathologist might suggest certain exercises for correcting the affected vocal muscles, such as reading aloud, changing the posture while having a meal, eating properly and slowly, reducing distraction while eating. All these exercises have proven to be very effective in curing a majority of swallowing disorders, as they stimulate the nerves in the vocal region.
- Trained Speech Language Pathologists at good centres dealing with swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata also recommend the patients to start by changing the texture of the food that will be easier for the patient of Dysphagia to gulp the food down more easily.
- Certain dietary changes are also recommended so as to treat various swallowing disorders.
- The common form of swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata is therapy which is performed by expert Speech therapists.
- Feeding tubes are also used to feed the patient with Dysphagia in severe cases. While some tubes are nasogastric, which are passed down the nose into the stomach, and others may be Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG), which are implanted directly into the stomach. These tubes are recommended only in cases where the patient cannot be fed normally. It is generally not suggested by trained Speech therapists unless it is the only option left. It is because feeding Dysphagia patients with the help of tubes might result in the person reluctant or altogether refusing to perform exercises, which are very effective swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata.
- Some cases of low Dysphagia can be treated with the help of surgeries like endoscopic dilation and inserting a stent (a metal mesh tube).
Treatments of swallowing disorders is a very essential part in the life of a Dysphagia patient as it tends to grow even worse if left untreated. In our generation, which saw such a revolutionary change in the field of technological advancements, swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata has also undergone a major developments. With such innovative swallowing disorders treatment in Kolkata today, you, as a patient of Dysphagia should feel free to go for one at a recognised centre.