How Long Does It Take to Learn to Swallow Again

If you have difficulty swallowing after stroke, information technology's probable that you lot have a status known as dysphagia.

At that place are steps you tin have to recover the power to swallow, which you lot're about to learn. But get-go, information technology'south important to sympathize what causes this condition, along with other complications that may arise. This article will explain information technology all.

Table of Contents

• Why Can't I Swallow After Stroke?
• Complications of Dysphagia After Stroke
• Recovery Steps for Regaining Swallowing After Stroke
• How Long Does Dysphagia Last Afterward a Stroke?
• Outlook for Stroke Patients with Dysphagia

Why Can't I Swallow Later on Stroke?

Dysphagia is a condition that impairs control over the muscles in the throat that are responsible for swallowing.

There are different types of dysphagia, but virtually stroke patients develop oropharyngeal dysphagia, which is acquired by the neurological bear on of stroke.

When a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls your throat muscles, the brain cannot ship the correct signals to those muscles anymore. Equally a consequence, it tin affect the ability to swallow.

The severity of dysphagia ranges. Some stroke patients can swallow with difficulty, only others can't eat at all. Survivors that struggle with swallowing after stroke crave an alternative means of feeding, such as soft foods or, in severe cases, a feeding tube.

Fortunately, dysphagia often improves within the beginning two weeks afterwards a stroke for most survivors. For individuals that practice not experience quick recovery like this, rehabilitation tin assist maximize chances of long-term improvement.

Rehabilitation is important because serious complications can occur if dysphagia does not improve. Before we dig into the methods of rehabilitation, let's discuss these complications.

Complications of Dysphagia After Stroke

Dysphagia is a condition that should exist taken very seriously. Piece of work closely with your medical team for support.

Patients with dysphagia are more than prone to these complications:

• Aspiration pneumonia. If yous inhale food or liquid on blow, it can bring bacteria into the lungs and atomic number 82 to aspiration pneumonia.
• Choking. Difficulty with swallowing increases the risk of choking, which is a potentially life-threatening consequence. This is why close monitoring is essential if y'all have dysphagia, specially during mealtime.
• Malnutrition. Dysphagia makes it more difficult to eat and potable, which can pb to malnutrition and other associated side effects such as unintentional weight loss, muscle cloudburst (from lack of proper nutrition), and dehydration.

Now that yous understand the causes and risks of dysphagia later stroke, allow'due south move onto recovery methods.

Recovery Steps for Regaining Swallowing After Stroke

The good news is that swallowing is a skill that many stroke patients can relearn through rehabilitation. Your healthcare team will be a great resource every bit you go started with recovery.

Here are some steps you can have to regain swallowing skills after stroke:

Footstep one: Work with a Spoken language-Language Pathologist

A speech communication-language pathologist is someone who is highly trained in speech disorders – which includes swallowing problems similar dysphagia.

While swallowing doesn't involve talking, it is lumped into the category of spoken communication because information technology involves your oral muscles. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) will be able to appraise your unique atmospheric condition and tailor a unique rehabilitation programme for you.

It'south highly encouraged to work with a oral communication-language pathologist because the complications of dysphagia are life-threatening! Protect your health and your life by working with a highly trained specialist.

Step two: Practice Swallowing Exercises

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It's likely that your speech-language pathologist will exercise swallowing exercises with you. The goal is to rewire the brain through neuroplasticity.

Past practicing swallowing exercises repetitively, information technology stimulates neuroplasticity and encourages new neural networks to class in the brain. These neural pathways will "relink mind to muscle" and then that y'all can regain control of the power to swallow. Repetition and consistency are primal every bit the brain requires lots of stimulation to rewire itself.

Ask your SLP to ship y'all home with some swallowing exercises to practice on your own. That way yous can get the repetition you lot need to go along improving.

Stride 3: Try Some Aphasia Apps

Aphasia is a language disorder after stroke that is related to dysphagia only in that both weather condition may require retraining of the oral motor muscles.

Y'all can endeavor using aphasia apps that include swallowing exercises, along with your homework from your spoken language-language pathologist. For example, the Lingraphica SmallTalk Oral Motor Exercises app contains lots of exercises to help improve swallowing subsequently stroke.

Daily practice will assist you run into the all-time results, and then you can practice these on your own in between sessions with your SLP.

Step iv: Consider Electrical Stimulation

Most patients are familiar with electric stimulation for stroke rehabilitation — but in the context of improving leg or arm movement. All the same, electric stimulation can assist with all kinds of motor recovery, including dysphagia and other oral motor skills.

Information technology works by applying gentle electrical impulses to your pharynx muscles. This helps send extra stimulation to the brain to encourage neuroplasticity.

Using electrical simulation alongside rehab exercises can help heave your results. Work closely with your therapists to hash out whether or non yous're a good candidate for electrical stimulation.

If you are, yous volition also demand a therapist'south assistance in placing the electrodes because placing them in improper locations on your neck can be very dangerous. Do not endeavor without assist.

Tip: To get an electrical stimulation device for your throat, yous frequently need a healthcare professional to order it for you.

Step five: Eat Safely past Using Compensation Techniques

Although swallowing exercises and electrical stimulation are some of the most effective ways to regain swallowing after stroke, results volition still take time. In the meantime, information technology's important to protect your prophylactic by minimizing your take chances of choking or having silent aspirations.

Here are some tips to ameliorate your rubber with dysphagia:

• Eat soft foods – they're easier to chew
• Drink thick liquids – it moves slower than thin liquids and reduces your hazard of choking
• Focus on sitting upwardly straight – and definitely don't lie down while eating!
• Consume slowly – this greatly reduces your risk of choking
• Avert foods of varying consistencies like chunky soup – this is complicated and unsafe to eat with dysphagia

These compensation techniques tin help protect your safety while you continue with your rehabilitation from stroke.

Please note, your spoken communication-language pathologist volition be the one to determine what texture of foods and liquids are safe for you at whatever given point in your recovery – they may recommend pureed foods and thickened liquids in the first of your recovery before hopefully progressing you beyond this if it'due south safe to exercise so.

As you slowly regain your power to swallow after stroke, make sure that someone is effectually as you begin to swallow new foods.

Your safety is of the utmost importance!

How Long Does Dysphagia Last Afterwards a Stroke?

Studies show that most individuals with dysphagia recover inside two weeks. However, every stroke is dissimilar and therefore every recovery will exist dissimilar.

Sometimes dysphagia goes away on its own, a phenomenon called spontaneous recovery. Chances of spontaneous recovery are higher if your stroke was balmy.

By and large speaking, more astringent strokes volition atomic number 82 to more persistent dysphagia, according to European Neurology. When dysphagia is severe, frequently feeding tubes are required for the first month.

While your stroke recovery timeline volition exist highly unique to y'all, it'due south understood that adherence to a consistent rehabilitation plan provides optimal chances for recovery.

Outlook for Stroke Patients with Dysphagia

Some patients may fully recover from dysphagia, especially if the stroke was mild. Other patients may require a feeding tube, which is more likely in the instance of massive stroke.

Work closely with your speech-language pathologist and ask him/her for swallowing exercises that you tin can practice at home. This volition aid you lot get consistent, daily exercise so that you help the brain heal and rewire itself.

Near importantly, never lose hope. At that place are enough of success stories of stroke patients who achieved a college recovery than expected because they believe in themselves and put in the work. Skilful luck!

Featured image: ©iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages

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Source: https://www.flintrehab.com/cant-swallow-after-stroke-dysphagia/

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