Neurogenic Dysphasia
Neurogenic dysphagia or preesophageal
dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing food caused by
disease or impairment of the nervous system.
Symptoms of Neurogenic Dysphagia
The symptoms of neurogenic dysphasia are:
- Difficulty in swallowing food
- Feeling that food is lodged on the throat
- Coughing or choking when swallowing
- Drooling, because of inability to swallow saliva
- Food or liquid backing up through the nose
These symptoms may come and go – some people may not have
these symptoms for weeks or months at a time, only to have them
recur.
Some people do not realize that they have these symptoms, because
they automatically chew their food or cut their food to smaller
sizes to make it easier to swallow.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will look for the following signs of neurogenic dysphagia:
- Decreased gag reflex
- Decreased ability to cough
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Fever caused by infection of the lungs caused by food going
into them
- Depression
Tests for neurogenic dysphagia include:
- Cine-esophagram
An imaging test that shows the sequential muscle movements during
swallowing
- Barium swallow test
Causes of Neurogenic Dysphagia
Neurogenic dysphagia can be caused by:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS)
- Huntington’s disease
- Head injury
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Chronic meningitis
- Poliomyelitis
This neurological condition can also be made worse by:
- Anesthetics
- Anti-convulsive drugs
- Sedatives
- Neuroleptic medications
- Corticosteroids
- Lipid-lowering medications
Treatments of Neurogenic Dysphagia?
As neurogenic dysphagia may be a symptom of the underlying disease,
such as Parkinson’s disease, medications for that disease
may improve the patient’s ability to
Therapy to learn how to swallow easier can also treat neurogenic
dysphagia. Here, a speech-language therapist can show the patient:
- Postures and strategies to swallow better
For example, muscle weakness due to stroke may require tilting
the head a certain way
- Techniques to protect the airway when swallowing
- Modification to diet to include more thick liquids, as they
are easier to swallow than solid food.
