If you plan to put your elderly into home health care services in Tampa, Florida, you’d have to learn as much as you can about any condition that they may be suffering from. One of these is dysphagia or a chronic difficulty in swallowing food or drink.
Take note, each one of us can experience difficulty in food or drink intake at some point in our lives. Dysphagia, however, is a recurring problem and does not go away that easily. You’ll know that your elderly has dysphagia if he or she exhibits the following symptoms:
- Repeated drooling of saliva
- Frequent regurgitation of food or liquid
- Choking up on food or drink a lot more times than usual
- Being unable to chew food properly
- Complaints of having food or drink stuck in the chest
If your elderly is complaining about at least three of these symptoms at the same time, it’s time to check in with health care services and obtain a diagnosis confirming dysphagia. It is important because the condition can cause chronic chest infections.
What can cause dysphagia? The condition is a problem with the nervous system. It can be caused by several factors, including survival from a stroke, traumatic head injuries, multiple sclerosis, or damage from dementia.
In other cases, GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease can also cause chronic regurgitation of food and stomach acids. The stomach acid can damage the throat enough to make it difficult for an individual to swallow food and drink.
If you need nursing services in Florida for your elderly, come and visit us at Blooming Gardens of Care.
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