International Older Persons Month is celebrated annually in October
According to research
Among the elderly over 65 years of age
The incidence of dysphagia is 15%~30%
And among the older people surveyed
67% of them are elderly
Unable to clearly state whether you have a swallowing disorder
There are also quite a few elderly people
Due to poor eating posture, incorrect food selection, etc
Causes dysphagia
Image source: Seeking Elements
Today we're going to talk about it
How to resolve the difficulty of "swallowing" the elderly
1. 9 clinical manifestations of dysphagia
1. Salivation;
2. Food leaking from the corners of the mouth;
3. Choking on drinking water;
4. Cough;
Image source: Seeking Elements
5. Choking;
6. Delayed swallowing;
7. Laborious eating, hoarseness, and small amount of eating;
Image source: Seeking Elements
8. Food regurgitation, where food is trapped in the mouth and pharynx;
9. Aspiration and insufficient elevation of laryngeal structure.
2. Scientific eating improves swallowing disorders
If you have dysphagia, you should change your eating mode and carry out oral feeding training, avoid indwelling nasogastric tube, realize self-directed eating, and eat fragrant meals.
Image source: Seeking Elements
The scientific methods of oral feeding include cutlery selection, portion size, dietary structure, body position management, eating speed, and swallowing training.
1 cutlery selection
Tableware that is light and easy to reach should be used, with a small spoon surface, not easy to stick to food, a long or thick spoon handle, and a blunt edge to facilitate the patient's stable holding.
Image source: Seeking Elements
2. One bite
A normal person's mouthful volume is about 20ml, and if there is too much in one mouthful, food will leak out of the mouth or cause pharyngeal food residue to cause accidental swallowing. If the amount of one bite is too small, it will be difficult to induce the swallowing reflex due to the insufficient intensity of the stimulus. For older adults with dysphagia, the safest mouthful size should be determined based on evaluation.
如：稀液体（水）：5~10ml，果酱或布丁（榴莲）：5~7ml，浓稠状食物（稠酸奶）：5~10ml，肉团（鱼肉）：5ml。
Image source: Seeking Elements
After determining the safest bite, find a suitable spoon to measure and use it regularly.
3. Dietary structure
01. Reduce the difficulty of chewing solid food, and make hard food softer.
02. Dilute thickening, reducing the speed of food flow in the pharynx and esophagus.
Image source: Seeking Elements
03. Avoid mixing solids and liquids.
04. When drinking water, it is recommended to lower your head and swallow vigorously (avoid raising your head to drink water and rinse your mouth).
Image source: Seeking Elements
05. When taking medicine, it is recommended to take 1~2 tablets of medicine at a time, and avoid taking multiple tablets of medicine together.
4. Positional management
Position: Choose a chair with a backrest and a fist's distance from the edge of the table on the inside of your body.
Image source: Seeking Elements
Chair height: When sitting, the edge of the seat reaches the knee joint, the torso of the seat is 90 degrees, and the feet are touching the ground as much as possible.
Table height: When sitting, you can place your elbows on the table.
5. Eating speed
Eat slowly and avoid disturbances. Make sure to swallow the previous bite before taking the next bite, so as not to overlap the two foods in your mouth.
6 Swallowing training
Swallowing training includes indirect feeding rehabilitation and direct feeding rehabilitation.
Indirect feeding rehabilitation: 2~3 times a day, 20~30 minutes before meals, 3~5 times per group.
Through indirect feeding rehabilitation training and direct feeding rehabilitation training, the tongue can promote food control, improve swallowing coordination, and make swallowing go smoothly.
Click on the video below
Learn in detail how to improve dysphagia
↓↓↓
Video source: Healthy China
At last
Best wishes to every senior citizen
Swallow with peace of mind and swallow smoothly
Health is guaranteed!
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