Dysphagia Digest — Xanthan Gum

WHAT IS DYSPHAGIA? Dysphagia is a medical term for the difficulty or inability to swallow safely and efficiently. The swallowing process is made up of 4 phases — the first phase starts with your lips and the last phase ends when food enters your stomach. Swallowing dysfunction along any point from your mouth to your throat (phases 1 to 3) can result in food and liquids entering the “wrong tube” and into your airway. This is known as oropharyngeal dysphagia (or simply dysphagia). WHAT CAUSES DYSPHAGIA? Conditions that may cause dysphagia include: Stroke Progressive neurologic diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Multiple...