Signs
of chewing and swallowing problems
- Extra effort
chewing or swallowing
- Eating very slowly
- Packing food
into the cheeks
- Swallowing several
times for a single mouthful of food
- Shortness of
breath during eating
- Coughing or choking
while eating or drinking
- Drooling
- Fluid leaking
from the nose after swallowing
- A wet-sounding
voice after eating
- Increased congestion
in the chest after eating
- Repeated bouts
of pneumonia
If a parent is
coughing or choking too often when eating and you are getting worried, ask the
following questions:
- What type of
food or fluid was he eating when the choking occurred?
- If the person
wears dentures, were they in at the time?
- Was the person
walking around with food in his mouth?
- Was he laughing
or talking?
Record this information
for a visit to the doctor.