#900swallows

As a follow up to Swallowing Awareness Day, this is what it looks like inside when we swallow! This is called a Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) or Modified Barium Swallow (MBS), which is a bit like an X-ray video that speech pathologists can use to observe a person’s swallowing, and make note of any impairment that could place them at risk of choking or aspirating food or fluid into their lungs. Speechies use VFSS to assess the ‘safety’ of someone’s swallow and to make decisions or recommendations about diet modifications such as puréed food or thickened fluids, in order to prevent choking, or aspirating and the development of pneumonia as a result. How cool are bodies? How cool is technology?? #swallowingawarenessday #dysphagia #speechpathology #900swallows . . . [Video description: short x-ray video of a person’s head and neck facing sideways, as they swallow a mouthful of fluid. The video shows the dark fluid as it travels down the person’s throat.]

Swallowing Awareness Day 2017 is an opportunity to bring attention to swallowing disorders and to connect people with speech pathologists, the professionals who can help.

Today was Swallowing Awareness Day! Swallowing is a vital part of everyday life for most people - we swallow up to 900 times every day! . The following information, as well as this interesting lil infographic have been sourced from @speechpathaus. . The theme for this year’s Swallowing Awareness Day is ‘Swallowing is Ageless...’ People who have trouble swallowing are at risk of choking, poor nutrition and dehydration, while babies and children with difficulty feeding may not take in enough nutrients to support growth and brain development. Speech pathologists are the professionals who assess and treat people across the lifespan with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). #900swallows #swallowingawarenessday #dysphagia . . . [Image description: purple, orange and white infographic with text reading as follows: “Swallowing Awareness Day - Wednesday 14 March 2018. People swallow 900 times per day (on average). Swallowing uses 26 muscles. More than 1 million Australians have difficulty swallowing. Humans swallow: once per minute while awake, around 3 times an hour during sleep, and even more during meals! Dysphagia - one in 17 people will develop some form of dysphagia in their lifetime. Dysphagia: (dis-fay-juh) - noun, difficulty or discomfort in swallowing. A swallowing disorder may affect: 15-30% of people aged 65+ living in the community. 50% of older adults in nursing homes. 84% of people with Parkinson’s disease. 100% of people with Alzheimer’s, at some point in their disease progression. 20% of adults with mental health disorders. 45% of patients with head and neck cancer, post chemotherapy. 40% of stroke survivors have an ongoing need for support for swallowing. 25% of patients with Multiple Sclerosis have swallowing difficulties- increasing to as many as 65% of those with severe multiple Sclerosis.”]