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What is it about?
We swallow food and drinks without thinking all day long, but swallowing is a vital function that can malfunction (called "dysphagia") and most of us are unaware of why and how it can happen. Dysphagia usually occurs due to illness such as strokes, head and neck cancers, and even age-related decline. This review found that awareness of dysphagia is low across the board, even in health professionals. People who live with dysphagia can experience the condition differently from what clinical assessments report.
Why is it important?
Raising dysphagia awareness can help the public to seek early intervention for themselves and their loved ones from speech language pathologists who are trained to manage this condition. Speech language pathologists should also be aware of the disconnect between subjective experiences of dysphagia and assessment findings to inform person-centred care.