Treating Dysphagia

An evaluation helps your health care provider find the cause of your trouble swallowing. Your evaluation may include a health history and some special tests. Your provider will make a treatment plan based on the results of your evaluation. You may need to take medicines. In some cases, your provider may advise speech therapy to help improve swallowing. They may suggest a procedure to stretch or widen your esophagus (food pipe). Or your provider may advise surgery.

Follow your treatment plan to help control dysphagia. Take all medicines as directed. You also can help ease your symptoms by being careful about what and how you eat. Your doctor may suggest:

• Making changes in how you eat, such as eating softer foods and using thickeners in drinks.
• Learning new ways to chew and swallow.
• Changing your posture while eating. This can help you swallow food and prevent breathing it into your airway. It can help make food and liquid go down more safely.

You may need medicines. These can:

• Reduce or neutralize stomach acids.
• Control muscle spasms in the esophagus.
• Treat an allergic condition of the esophagus that is causing the problem.

Some medicines can be injected into the esophagus.

• Esophageal dilation. In some cases, a narrowing (stricture) of the esophagus is causing the problem. Dilation is a procedure that your health care provider can use to widen your esophagus. It's most often done through a device called an endoscope. There are other ways your provider can widen your esophagus. They can discuss these with you.
• Radiation or surgery. These treatments may be used if cancer is causing the swallowing problem.
• Feeding tube. This treatment may be suggested if you have severe symptoms and are unable to eat or drink or if you have problems due to choking or pneumonia. A small tube is passed through your nose into the stomach. Or it can be placed directly into the stomach through the abdomen (belly). Liquid nutrition is given through this tube directly into the stomach.

• Eat slowly in a relaxed setting.
• Don't talk while you eat.
• Take small bites. Chew slowly and thoroughly.
• Sit upright during and after meals.
• Ask your health care provider about any special diets that may help, such as liquid diets.
• If you have trouble swallowing solid foods, you can use a blender to mash or purée them.
• Thicken liquids with milk, juice, broth, gravy, or starch. This can make swallowing easier.

Contact your health care provider right away if:

• You have a fever.
• There's blood in your vomit.
• You're losing weight.

Call 911 if you are having any trouble breathing.

Your health care provider may advise that you see a speech therapist or occupational therapist. These specialists may give you exercises and instructions to help you eat safely.