Ugh. This multiple sclerosis symptom can get a little gruesome.
Gulping fits the bill there. We may choke, cough, or sputter. Sometimes we’re
challenged even to swallow water. That makes pill-taking tricky, not to mention
basic eating and drinking.
Doctors call it dysphagia, or swallowing difficulty. Some struggle
with extra hot or cold food or drink. Others wrestle with extra textures or food
density.
Certainly, choking and unintentional spitting can be problems. But the real danger may arise when food or liquid is accidentally inhaled instead of ingested. In the worst cases, this can lead to pneumonia, which can be a big concern for long-term MS warriors.
It sort of goes along with the whole gag reflex thing, which
MSers can also face fairly often. And plenty of people with swallowing
difficulties also have speech issues. In fact, MS specialists may refer
patients with dysphagia to speech/language pathologists for treatment and
therapy. In milder cases, careful and attentive and slower eating may meet the
need.
Images:
Word cloud generated by Kicking MS to the Curb - All rights reserved
Word cloud generated by Kicking MS to the Curb - All rights reserved
Series title graphic adapted from public
domain artwork.
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MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the
Most of MS board on Pinterest.
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