Dysphagia Flashcards
What is a normal swallow?
It is a life sustaining skill. A swallowing disorder involves impaired execution of the oral preparatory, oral, pharyngeal, or esophageal phases of a normal swallow.
Signs & Symptoms of Dysphagia
- inability to recognize food
- changes in diet
- inability to control food or saliva in mouth
- pocketing
- coughing right before, during, or after swallow
- recurring pneumonia
- dehydration
- reflux
- unexplained weight loss
- gurgly voice quality
- patient complaint
- temperature spikes after meals
What are some complications and symptoms of dysphagia
-pneumonia, dehydration, & malnutrition
These are both symptoms and complications of dysphagia which result from either an unsafe swallow (which causes aspiration and risk of pneumonia) or inefficient swallow (which results in an insufficient intake of food and/or liquid)
Muscles & innervations of Lips
Sensory= Trigeminal V Motor= facial VII
Muscles & innervations of tongue
Sensory= trigeminal V, facial VII (anterior 2/3 of tongue), glossopharyngeal XI (posterior 1/3) Motor= hypoglossal XII
Muscles & innervations of palate
Sensory= trigeminal V, glossopharyngeal IX Motor= Vagus X, Accessory XI
Muscles & innervations of Pharynx
Sensory= glossopharyngeal IX Motor= glossopharyngeal IX & Vagus X
Muscles & innervations of Teeth
Sensory= trigeminal V
Muscles & innervations of Jaw
Sensory & motor= trigeminal V
Average deglutition frequency
2400 swallows per day
*****Swallowing and respiration are reciprocal functions
Phase 1 of a normal swallow: Oral Preparatory Phase
Begins: Sensory recognition of food
Middle: Food enters mouth and labial seal is maintained, mastication and manipulation begins until semi-cohesive bolus is formed
Ends: Bolus begins anterior to posterior movement on the tongue
Oral Preparatory phase Requires:
- open nasal airway and nasal breathing
- Larynx & Pharynx are at rest and nasal breathing continues
- For a liquid bolus no mastication needed, held in “Tippers position” (food held between midline of tongue and hard palate with tip elevated against alveolar ridge) OR “dippers” (bolus held on floor of mouth in front of tongue) 20%
- For solid bolus: mastication needed. Requires rotary lateral movement of mandible & tongue.
- tongue positions material on teeth
- upper and lower teeth meet, material is crushed and falls medially toward the tongue which pushes it back onto the teeth as the mandible opens (cycle repeats)
- Tension in the buccal musculature closes off the lateral sulcus and prevents food from falling into sulcus
- After chewing tongue pulls food into bolus before oral phase is initiated.
- *airway is still open during this phase
Phase 2: Oral phase
- Starts when the tongue begins posterior movement of bolus
- “stripping action” occurs where the midline of the tongue sequentially squeezes the bolus anteriorly against the hard palate
- Sides and tips of tongue remain firmly anchored against alveolar ridge
- Thicker food require more pressure and slightly more time to propel through oral cavity and pharynx
- Phase ends when bolus is propelled back to the “trigger point”
- *Oral Transit Time (OTT): time taken from posterior movement of bolus to when bolus reaches trigger point (normal 1-1.5 seconds)
Phase 3: Pharyngeal Phase
- Starts at the trigger: when bolus passes any point between the anterior faucial arches and the point where the tongue base crosses the mandible.
- *Pharyngeal delay time (PDT): begins when the bolus head reaches the point where the lower edge of mandible crosses the tongue base and ends when swallow is triggered
- *Pharyngeal Transit Time (PTT): time elapsed from triggering pharyngeal swallow until bolus passes through UES (usually less than 1 sec)
Phase 3, once swallow is triggered what physiological activities should occur?
- Elevation and retraction of velum & complete closure of VP port so bolus doesn’t enter nasopharynx
- Elevation and anterior movement of hyoid and larynx (hyolaryngeal elevation)
- Closure of larynx at all 3 sphincters to prevent food from entering airway (TVF–> FVF–> epiglottis)
- opening of the UES to allow material to pass from pharynx to esophagus
- ramping of the base of tongue to deliver bolus to pharynx
- followed by tongue base retraction to contact anteriorly bulging posterior pharyngeal wall
- progressive top to bottom contraction of pharyngeal constrictors to squeeze the bolus through the pharynx
Phase 4: Esophageal Phase
- Transit time is the time from when the bolus enters the UES until is passes into the stomach at the LES (8-20sec)
- Peristalic wave begins at the top of the esophagus and pushes the bolus ahead of it until LES opens and the bolus enters the stomach.
- Pts with esophageal disorders are referred to a gastroenterologist
For swallowers to clear food from oral cavity and larynx with NO RESIDUE and good airway protection the following things need to occur:
- oral prolusion of bolus into pharynx
- Airway closure
- UES opening with laryngeal elevation
- tongue base retraction with pharyngeal wall squeezing and propelling to carry the bolus through the pharynx and into the esophagus
aspiration
-food and liquid has gone below the level of the true folds
silent aspiration
aspiration without coughing or any auditory signs
penetration
food and liquid gets into the additus and vestibule
residue
what is left over after the swallow, location shows the point of weakness
Disorders of oral preparatory phase
- Reduced lip closure
- Reduced tongue coordination
- Reduced Lip strength or tone
- Reduced buccal/cheek strength or tone
- Abnormal Hold position
Disorders of Oral Phase
- Delayed initiation of oral phase
- Tongue thrust
- Residue in mouth after an oral swallow
- Uncoordinated Tongue
- Reduced tongue elevation
- Lingual Rock n Roll
- Premature over spill of liquid into pharynx
- Piecemeal Deglutition
- Delayed initiation of of pharyngeal swallow (trigger)