At what age does dysphagia most commonly affect someone? (2023)

What is the age category most affected by dysphagia?

It most commonly affects the elderly population, in which oropharyngeal dysphagia is associated with muscle atrophy, cognitive decline, and increased aspiration risk in as many as 35% of patients older than 75 years.

Dysphagia can occur at any age, but it's more common in older adults. The causes of swallowing problems vary, and treatment depends on the cause.

Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) is a growing health concern in our aging population. Age-related changes in swallowing physiology as well as age-related diseases are predisposing factors for dysphagia in the elderly.

Dysphagia has many possible causes and happens most frequently in older adults. Any condition that weakens or damages the muscles and nerves used for swallowing may cause dysphagia. For example, people with diseases of the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease, often have problems swallowing.

TARGET POPULATION: Dysphagia is common in persons with neurologic diseases such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and dementia. The older adult with one of these conditions is at even greater risk for aspiration because the dysphagia is superimposed on the slowed swallowing rate associated with normal aging.

Dysphagia is usually caused by another health condition, such as: a condition that affects the nervous system, such as a stroke, head injury, or dementia. cancer – such as mouth cancer or oesophageal cancer. gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is rare in young adults. Mostly, it is seen at extremes of age and caused by cerebral palsy, stroke, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging.

If anything goes wrong anywhere in the process, it may cause a disorder known as dysphagia. Swallowing and feeding disorders are common in children. It's estimated between 25% and 45% of normally developing children have some form of the condition.

Dysphagia can come and go, be mild or severe, or get worse over time. If you have dysphagia, you may: Have problems getting food or liquids to go down on the first try. Gag, choke, or cough when you swallow.

What are 4 potential causes of dysphagia?

Overview. Common risk factors in the development of dysphagia include smoking, obesity, pregnancy, hiatal hernia, scleroderma, alcohol consumption, consuming drinks that contain caffeine, and medications.

About swallowing and aged care

Up to 60% of people in nursing homes have problems swallowing (known as “Dysphagia”).

Dysphagia is a common symptom observed in congenital genetic syndromes. Studies conducted on patients with these genetic syndromes, where the detailed genetic background is examined, may provide another source of valuable information on swallowing genetics.

Dysphagia can be found in anxiety, depression and conversion hysteria, with high incidence in the urban population of the third world countries. However, several professionals are unaware of these disorders.

Irrespective of age, dysphagia is commonly associated with certain diseases such as cerebrovascular accidents, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson disease (PD), myasthenia gravis, and tardive dyskinesia, all of which increase in prevalence with aging.

It can be temporary, or it can be a permanent condition that may or may not deteriorate over time, depending on the aetiology. Signs that an individual is experiencing dysphagia may include: Reported difficulty swallowing certain foods/liquids. Coughing or choking when eating and drinking.

Children under age 5 are at greatest risk for choking injury and death. Toys, household items and foods can all be a choking hazard. The most common cause of nonfatal choking in young children is food.

Dental problems (teeth that do not meet properly, such as with an overbite) Large tongue. Diseases that affect the nerves and muscles, such as a stroke, tumor, nerve injury, brain injury, or muscular dystrophy, and can cause paralysis or poor function of the tongue or the muscles in the throat and esophagus.

What is the first stage of dysphagia?

Oral preparatory phase.

The arch of your mouth and your tongue connect to prevent food or liquid entering the pharynx. Then, your tongue rises, squeezing the bolus back along the roof of your mouth and into your upper pharynx.

Benign strictures typically progress slowly (over a period of months to years) and are associated with minimal weight loss. Malignant esophageal strictures usually cause rapidly progressing dysphagia (over a period of weeks to months) with substantial weight loss.

Congenital or developmental conditions that may cause dysphagia include: learning disabilities – where learning, understanding, and communicating are difficult. cerebral palsy – a group of neurological conditions that affect movement and co-ordination.

In patients with significant dysphagia and dementia we know that survival is equally short with and without a feeding tube, around 6 months.

Patients with neuromuscular dysphagia experience gradually progressive difficulty in swallowing solid food and liquids. Cold foods often aggravate the problem. Patients may succeed in passing the food bolus by repeated swallowing, by performing the Valsalva maneuver or by making a positional change.

Dysphagia affects more than 50% of stroke survivors. Fortunately, the majority of these patients recover swallowing function within 7 days, and only 11-13% remain dysphagic after 6 months.

Depending on the suspected cause, your health care provider might refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist, a doctor who specializes in treating digestive disorders (gastroenterologist), or a doctor who specializes in diseases of the nervous system (neurologist).

In cases of stroke, dysphagia is traditionally associated with brainstem lesions or bilateral cortical damage [12,13].

You should see your doctor to determine the cause of your swallowing difficulties. Call a doctor right away if you're also having trouble breathing or think something might be stuck in your throat. If you have sudden muscle weakness or paralysis and can't swallow at all, call 911 or go to the emergency room.

What does mild dysphagia feel like?

Definition. Difficulty with swallowing is the feeling that food or liquid is stuck in the throat or at any point before the food enters the stomach. This problem is also called dysphagia.

Sometimes, dysphagia is just a normal sign of aging. As people get older, sometimes their mouth and throat muscles begin to weaken. This, in turn, can lead to swallowing difficulties.

Swallowing and feeding disorders are common in children. Estimates are between 25% and 45% of normally developing kids have some form of dysphagia.

Dysphagia can sometimes lead to further problems. One of the most common problems is coughing or choking, when food goes down the "wrong way" and blocks your airway. This can lead to chest infections, such as aspiration pneumonia, which require urgent medical treatment.

Each year, approximately one in 25 adults will experience a swallowing problem in the United States (Bhattacharyya, 2014). Dysphagia cuts across so many diseases and age groups that its true prevalence in adult populations is not fully known and is often underestimated.

Dental problems (teeth that do not meet properly, such as with an overbite) Large tongue. Diseases that affect the nerves and muscles, such as a stroke, tumor, nerve injury, brain injury, or muscular dystrophy, and can cause paralysis or poor function of the tongue or the muscles in the throat and esophagus.