An overview of dysphagia and how to ensure patients are receiving the safest and most efficacious oral formulations.
Dysphagia is the term used to describe a swallowing disorder usually resulting from a neurological or physical impairment of the oral (mouth), pharyngeal (upper throat) or oesophageal (lower throat) mechanisms[1].
Swallowing is a mechanism that allows eating and drinking, which in healthy individuals, is a safe and effective means of maintaining life[2]. For a normal swallow to occur, food or fluid enters the mouth and is size-reduced through chewing, mixing with saliva to form a bolus that is transferred to the back of the throat with the assistance of the tongue[1]. The opening of the larynx closes and the ‘bolus’ is propelled into the stomach through the oesophagus[1]. A normal swallow requires the respiratory, oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal and oesophageal anatomical structures to function in synchrony, which is dependent upon the motor and sensory nervous system being intact[1].
