Dysphagia is a disorder characterised by difficulty or impossibility in swallowing, the prevalence of which increases with age. In addition to serious nutritional and respiratory problems, dysphagia can lead to a serious deterioration in the quality of life of affected older people, both socially and emotionally.

As we get older, developing healthy habits becomes a key element to enjoying a satisfactory quality of life. A balanced and healthy diet, together with regular physical exercise, are two fundamental habits that contribute to maintaining a good physical condition as we get older, and helps us to maintain this quality of life. However, there are certain disorders that can be a major obstacle in achieving it.

One of the problems that can prevent us from maintaining a balanced diet is dysphagia, defined as the difficulty or impossibility of swallowing both solids and liquids, which encompasses both the inability to initiate swallowing and the sensation that the swallowed material is retained in the oesophagus. And as we can imagine, dysphagia has a huge impact on the health and quality of life of affected older people.

Causes, types and prevalence of dysphagia

It is a disorder that can have multiple origins, and can lead to serious nutritional and respiratory problems. In general terms, we can distinguish between oropharyngeal dysphagia, characterised by difficulties in transferring the food bolus from the mouth to the oesophagus, and oesophageal dysphagia, in which the alteration occurs in transit through the oesophagus until it reaches the stomach.

It should be kept in mind that the prevalence of dysphagia is increasing among older people as a manifestation of diseases usually associated with age, such as various neurologic diseases, Parkinson’s disease, dementia or stroke.

Estimates of morbidity indicate that it appears in more than 80% of Parkinson‘s patients, in around 50% of people who have suffered a stroke, in 60% of those suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in around half of those affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).

This swallowing difficulty causes major complications as it prevents sufficient supply of nutrients and water, and there is the added risk of food and digestive secretions reaching the airways and even the lungs. For this reason, the occurrence of dysphagia in the elderly significantly increases the risk of mortality, as well as severely impairing their quality of life.

For this reason, the onset of dysphagia in the elderly significantly increases the risk of mortality. Not only that, but it also represents a serious deterioration in their quality of life, as eating is not just a physical need, but also a social and emotional experience.

The importance of oral health in cases of dysphagia

As we have seen, dysphagia has a huge impact on the health and quality of life of the elderly that can lead to serious problems. Due to the complexity of this disorder and its serious consequences, it is essential for patients with dysphagia to maintain optimal oral health in order to avoid the appearance of other complications such as infections of the oral cavity, which would be a major additional problem and would make the complex feeding of these patients even more difficult.

In addition, and given the relationship we have seen with other disorders such as Parkinson‘s or dementia, the dental care of these patients requires that professionals not only have excellent technical knowledge, but also an enormous sensitivity to deal with any situation that may arise. And at Lura Care we are very proud to have a magnificent group of professionals committed to providing a service with the maximum guarantees for this.