What causes swallowing disorders in adults?
Some causes of feeding and swallowing problems in adults are:
Damage to the nervous system, such as:
- stroke
- brain injury
- spinal cord injury
- Parkinson's disease
- multiple sclerosis
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)
- muscular dystrophy
- cerebral palsy
- Alzheimer's disease
Problems affecting the head and neck, including:
- cancer in the mouth, throat, or esophagus
- injury or surgery involving the head and neck
- decayed or missing teeth, or poorly fitting dentures
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How common are swallowing disorders?
Information about how many adults have swallowing disorders is available in ASHA's report titled "Communication Facts: Special Populations: Dysphagia."
The ASHA Leader articles
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See Also:
Swallowing Disorders in Adults
Swallowing: Benefits of Speech-Language Pathology Services
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