We encourage anyone who has experienced dysphagia (swallowing impairment), knows someone with this condition, or provides healthcare to patients to attend and contribute. Dr. Humbert and Candace Thomas, both speech-language pathologists (SLPs), provide understandable and informative discussions about swallowing disorders and encourage story-sharing, helpful ways to navigate the healthcare system, and hope.
Another important goal of SWIG Forums is to increase health literacy about swallowing disorders, which improves your understanding of, and access to, information and services to manage your swallowing problems. The SWIG Forum is sponsored by Swallowing Wellness, the world’s first outpatient center dedicated to people with feeding and swallowing difficulty, located in Bethesda, MD. Webinar recordings are made available for public viewing, free of charge.
Introduction to Swallowing Disorders
Types, symptoms, and the impacts on daily life
Swallowing disorders are complicated conditions that can arise from many different diseases and disorders, including neurological and psychological conditions, cancer, injury to the mouth or throat, surgeries, medications, and other causes. There is not just one type of swallowing disorder or one outcome. In one person, a stroke might lead to foods such as bread and meat getting stuck in the throat, while another person finds themselves coughing when they try to drink water. In this virtual SWIG Forum, we explain how swallowing normally works, then describe the nature of various types of swallowing disorders and what causes them, including common feeding and swallowing disorders across different ages.
Managing Complications of Swallowing Difficulty
Preventing and addressing risks of pneumonia, choking, dehydration, and malnutrition
When anyone suffers from a swallowing problem, they may experience frightening, painful, inconvenient, or embarrassing complications: choking, discomfort during swallowing, coughing during mealtimes, or bringing up food or saliva that just will not go down. These symptoms can lead to long-term health concerns such as weight loss, pneumonia, breathing obstructions from choking, dehydration, malnutrition, and poor quality of life. In this virtual SWIG Forum, we describe common treatments including diet alterations, head and neck positions, swallowing maneuvers, and more, in simple language. This broad overview does not replace consulting with a clinician about your specific swallowing concerns.
Dealing with Difficulty in the Healthcare System
Getting the most out of your interactions with medical providers
We have all been frustrated by well-meaning healthcare providers who seem to overlook our concerns, leave us with more questions than answers, and herd us through the healthcare system. The swallowing healthcare system is particularly fractured: most people who have been told they have a swallowing problem did not have imaging, such as X-ray or endoscopy, to confirm that a swallowing problem exists. In this virtual SWIG Forum, we deliver straightforward, patient-centered advice on how to make the current healthcare system work for you, including knowing what medical procedures you should have access to, which medical specialties to choose, and how to advocate for yourself.
