Burlingame Health Care Providers Battle Swallowing Disorder

Burlingame health care specialists are helping patients recover lost swallowing and communication skills through a speech-language pathology program provided at Amedisys Home Health, an in-home care service in town.

“People who have difficulty swallowing food and liquids open themselves up to a range of health problems, such as weight loss, poor nutrition, dehydration, choking and aspiration pneumonia, which happens when food or drink gets into the lungs. These conditions can erode a person’s quality of life and in some cases even threaten their life,” said David Hutchings, CCC-SLPD., managing director of rehab services for Amedisys in a statement. “It’s crucial to help patients recover the ability to swallow.”

According to Amedisys, about 10 million Americans develop swallowing disorders each year, also called dysphagia. These disorders are commonly associated with stroke, respiratory conditions and neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Amedisys Home Health in Burlingame offers a list of symptoms associated with swallowing disorders, and urges seniors to watch for and talk to their health care providers about any symptoms they develop. Symptoms include:

• · Feeling that food is sticking in the throat or chest
• · Coughing during or after eating or drinking
• · Gurgled speech
• · Weight loss
•  Pain in the chest or back

“By proactively treating swallowing disorders and using specialized feeding techniques, we can help to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and improve the overall quality of life for our home health and hospice patients,” Dr. Hutchings said.

For more information about the Amedisys Speech-Language Pathology program and to locate an Amedisys care center in your area, please visit www.Amedisys.com/SLP.

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