Dysphagia in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

“Each year, approximately one in 25 adults will experience a swallowing problem in the United States” (ASHA, 2019). Dysphagia is a neurological condition that causes difficulty in swallowing. This condition is more common among older individuals and it affects 22% of adults over the age of fifty and as many as 35% of patients older than 75 years of age (Roden & Altman, 2013). There are many symptoms of dysphagia that can occur. For example, some symptoms may include mild choking, drooling, coughing, gagging, hoarseness, sensation of food getting stuck in the throat or chest, regurgitation, weight loss, difficulty controlling food in the mouth, difficulty starting the swallowing process, and recurrent pneumonia (Mayo Clinic, 2019). Some of the most common and most severe complications of dysphagia include malnutrition, choking, and aspiration pneumonia (ASHA, 2019).