Difficulty swallowing, medically defined as dysphagia, means it takes longer and requires more effort to move what you eat and drink from your mouth to your stomach. Swallowing problems may arise when you eat too fast and/or don't chew your food...
The condition that children sometimes develop that causes swallowing problems is called dysphagia and can occur at various times in the swallowing process. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, toddlers can experience the...
Swallowing is one of the most highly complex acts humans do on a daily basis. It is also a skill that is often taken for granted---that is, until a problem occurs. Swallowing problems are referred to as dysphagia. The different types of dysphagia...
Swallowing disorders, which are called dysphagia, occur in children anywhere from the mouth down through the throat. Any type of swallowing problem has the potential to cause serious problems with your child's overall health and development. If...
A person may develop problems swallowing if she has nerve problems in her upper body; this is called dysphagia. If you develop dysphagia, you will need an exam by a doctor, a speech pathologist and a dietitian to prescribe the right diet so you...
The American Heart Association defines a stroke as the obstructed blood flow to one side of the brain which controls the bodily functions on the opposite side. Stroke can result in paralysis, vision problems, behavioral changes, memory deficits,...
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is described by the National Institutes of Health as a degenerative disease where motor neurons die. Motor neurons are cells within the nervous system that send messages to the body telling muscles when and...
It is important for patients with Parkinson's disease to watch what they eat. Certain foods interfere with medication used to treat Parkinson's. Since the disease affects neurotransmitter levels that control signals to the muscles, the bodies of...
As defined by MayoClinic.com, a laryngectomy is the surgical removal of either a part or the entire larynx, or voice box. A laryngectomy is usually done to treat cancer of the larynx, or rarely done to treat damage of the larynx due to trauma....
A sore throat with the feeling of a lump is associated with post nasal drip, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Post nasal drip is a condition where excessive liquid secretions drip in the back of the throat, causing an...
Dysarthria is a neurological speech disorder caused by paralysis, weakness, or an inability to coordinate the muscles of the mouth. Dysphagia is a neurological swallowing disorder that may cause a complete inability to swallow or an inability to...
According to the National Institutes of Health, Nexium, whose generic name is esomeprazole, is a proton pump inhibitor used to treat acid related disorders of the stomach and small intestine. Nexium is mainly prescribed to treat gastroesophageal...
Part of the aftermath of a stroke can include difficulty swallowing enough food to maintain adequate nutrition. A dysphagia evaluation, performed after a stroke, assesses the ability to swallow liquids and solids in varying levels of consistency....
Polymyositis is a condition involving long-term muscle inflammation and progressive muscle weakness. It usually develops in people between the ages of 31 and 60 and is extremely rare in individuals under the age of 18. Certain dietary practices...
According to MayoClinic.com, thyroid removal, also known as thyroidectomy, is the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Thyroidectomy is usually performed to treat serious thyroid disorders like thyroid cancer, enlarged thyroid...
Stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the esophagus or food pipe that extends from the mouth to the stomach. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is the back-flow of stomach acid in the esophagus and is a major risk factor for stricture....
The diaphram has a small opening, or hiatus, that allows the esophagus to pass food through to the stomach, according to MayoClinic.com. When a hiatal hernia is present, a small part of the stomach pushes upward through the diaphram opening....
Vitamin B-12, also known as cyanocobalamin, is a water-soluble B vitamin that is necessary for red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, metabolism and maintaining healthy nerve cells. Vitamin B-12 is available in oral, sublingual, nasal and...
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, which is a protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this covering is damaged, nerve...
There is no known cure for Ataxia-Telangiectasia, so the goal of physicians is to prolong life by managing the disease's symptoms and keeping a watchful eye for additional illnesses that are commonly associated with A-T. Approximately 25 percent...
Dysphagia, which means "difficult swallowing," can be due to problems in your mouth, throat or esophagus. According to the June 2000 "American Family Physician," esophageal dysphagia can be a symptom of aging, neurologic problems, esophageal...
Speech and swallowing problems commonly affect people with Parkinson's disease. The disease damages the motor system and occurs in around 1.5 million Americans. Controlling the muscles in the mouth and face becomes more difficult, so speech can...
According to Drugs.com, Nexium and Prilosec belong to a class of medications known as proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors are drugs used to suppress or block the production of acid in the stomach and aid in the healing of various...
Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux, occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, irritating the lining and causing pain, indigestion and heartburn. The most common surgical treatment performed for acid reflux is nissen...
According to the National institutes of Health, Carafate, or generic sucralfate, is an anti-ulcer medication used to treat stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers. Carafate works by forming a protective coating on ulcer sites and protecting them from...
Bulimia, also known as bulimia nervosa, is a serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic. When you are bulimic, you may have frequent episodes of binge eating (consuming larger amounts of food than...
The esophagus, commonly called the food pipe, extends from the mouth to the stomach. Stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the esophagus. Stricture occurs due to scar tissue in the esophagus and affects about 1 in 500 people. There are various...
Because it is gentle on the system, a soft diet is prescribed for certain illnesses and while recovering from surgery. Depending on the condition, one of two types of soft diet is used: digestive or mechanical. While similar in many ways, there...
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders in which the brain does not properly control the muscles. According to Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy usually becomes apparent by the age of 3. The condition is permanent and does not worsen over time.
Throat cancer, often associate with oral cancer, affects the throat. A significant amount of people every year are diagnosed and die of this cancer, but if diagnosed early it is can be cured. In this video learn more about this cancer and how to...
