Dysphagia: diagnosis, modern methods of diet therapy

Abstract

Dysphagia is a secondary symptom representing any disruption in the swallowing process. There are two main types of dysphagia: oropharyngeal and esophageal. Oropharyngeal dysphagia accounts for about 80–85% of all swallowing problems. In patients with mild to moderate dysphagia, oral feeding with thickening agents is available. This review provides options for testing various thickeners used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, as well as for food modification. A stepwise choice of food texture for patients of different ages depending on the severity of dysphagia is presented. Key words: dysphagia, diet therapy, thickeners, food texture