People with dysphagia have difficulty swallowing and may also experience pain while swallowing. Some people may be completely unable to swallow or may have trouble swallowing liquids, foods, or saliva. Eating then becomes a challenge. Often, dysphagia makes it difficult to take in enough calories and fluids to nourish the body. If other treatments do not help, your doctor may refer you to see one of our speech-language pathologists who are trained in testing and treating swallowing disorders. The speech-language pathologist will test your ability to eat and drink and may teach you a new way to swallow.

Treatment may involve muscle exercises to strengthen weak facial muscles or to improve coordination. For others, treatment may involve learning to eat in a special way.