Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that affects 1 out of every 17 Americans for a total of over 15,000,000 people, including 60% of stroke patients and 70 5 of radiation patients.
Dysphagia threatens the quality of life of many individuals, yet there is little awareness surrounding this hindering condition. This June, we are supporting Dysphagia Awareness Month.
Swallowing is a complex, vital process that we perform approximately 600 times a day. Chances are, we go about our daily lives without thinking about our swallowing capabilities until there is a problem. Symptoms of dysphagia include pain while swallowing, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, frequent heartburn, and coughing and/or gagging while swallowing.
Complications from dysphagia can be life threatening, ranging from malnourishment to aspiration pneumonia. In fact, it is estimated that 60,000 people will die from dysphagia complications every year.
Help raise awareness by engaging with us on Twitter at @CookOHNS or by visiting our website.