Swallow Strengthening—is it important?

Have you noticed that you are coughing on water or choking on a bite of food more often than you used to? You are not alone! Research has shown that, around the age of 65, we start to lose strength and reaction time in our swallow muscles (just like the rest of our body, sadly). The good news is that there is something you can do about it! We work with our clients to develop a swallow strengthening exercise routine to increase strength over time. This is important—there are no quick fixes to swallow strengthening but there are strategies we can utilize in the meantime to keep you safe. Swallow strategies may include a chin tuck with all swallowing, a hard swallow, alternating liquids and foods, head turn, or even diet modification. There are so many options here that working with a trained speech pathologist will help you get the right ones working in your favor. Swallow strengthening exercises that we may recommend including swallowing hard (the best exercise for swallowing is, in fact, swallowing! Who would have thought??), practice swallowing with your tongue between your teeth (yes, it is possible but very strange at first), chin tuck against resistance exercises (have you seen those exercises that target the double chin? They actually can do something for you swallow muscles when used correctly), and singing! No, I do not mean singing like an opera singer, but vocal strengthening to protect your airway as it is our last line of defense before food and drink enter the airway. We do our best to help you avoid aspiration pneumonia. If you have never heard that term before, it comes from letting food or drink get down into your airway and causing a bacterial infection in your lungs. Not fun! So this post is a long-winded way to say—yes, swallow strengthening is important! Reach out and schedule a free 15 minute consultation if this post seemed to hit the nail on the head for you.