Define the neurological disorders of dysphagia?
In neurological disorders, damage to cranial nerves can lead to weak and poorly co- ordinated tongue movements, which results in problems in completing the oral phase of swallowing. Weakened lip muscles cause an incomplete mouth closure with sucking difficulties. There may be a difficulty in forming a cohesive bolus and moving it through the oral cavity. Loss of sensation and facial weakness can result in food being pocketed in the buccal recesses of the mouth, without the patient being aware of it. Poorly co- ordinated pharyngeal phase can cause gagging, choking and nasopharyngeal regurgitation. Aspiration of food into the lungs is a complication of dysphagia, unless care is taken. Thus, some symptoms commonly associated with dysphagia are drooling, coughing, and choking while eating, oral food retention, gurgling voice quality and feeling of lump in the throat. There is an increased risk of aspiration and pneumonia.