Swallowing difficulties can have a major impact on a person’s ability to eat and drink. For most people, those actions are almost involuntary. They barely have to give them a second thought. With dysphagia, though, it’s an entirely different experience. It can make eating and drinking more stressful than satisfying. It also comes with certain dangers, like increased risks of choking on solid foods or aspirating liquids. Dysphagia increases people’s risks of malnutrition, dehydration, and developing aspiration pneumonia as well.
With all that being the case, it’s important to keep dysphagia sufferers’ unique needs in mind when preparing meals for them. Certain dietary modifications may be necessary to reduce the potential risks and ensure they get the nutrients they need to stay healthy. The following measures can make mealtime safer and more pleasant for people who suffer from swallowing difficulties.
Texture Modifications
One of the most important dietary adjustments for dysphagia is modifying the textures of foods and beverages. People with dysphagia often need to avoid thin liquids because they’re difficult to control in the mouth and throat. That, in turn, increases the risk of aspirating them. Adding food thickening agents to beverages, soups, sauces, and gravies can make them easier to control and safer for dysphagia patients.
Solid foods can also pose problems. They’re often difficult for dysphagia sufferers to chew and swallow. Be sure to avoid crunchy foods like raw fruits and vegetables. Instead, cook them until they’re tender. From there, consider chopping, mincing, or mashing them to make them easier to manage. Meats should be finely chopped and served with sauces or gravies. Alternatively, they can be pureed with broths or sauces.
Maintaining Proper Nutrition
Ensuring dysphagia patients maintain proper nutrition is also essential. Since their menu options can be fairly limited, packing in all the nutrients they need to stay healthy can be particularly difficult. As such, serving them nutrient-rich foods and using cooking methods that preserve as nutritional value as possible is recommended.
You can also enrich foods with high-calorie ingredients like butter and cream. Adding powdered milk or protein powders to foods can ramp up their nutrient density as well. Offering small meals more often throughout the day instead of serving three large meals is also recommended. That may encourage dysphagia sufferers to eat more without feeling overwhelmed.
Staying Hydrated
Another important dietary adjustment for dysphagia patients is to pay close attention to hydration. As mentioned, thin liquids can be problematic for people with swallowing difficulties, so they’re at a higher risk of dehydration. Consider making sure beverages are always close at hand for dysphagia sufferers rather than only offering them at certain times. As noted, using thickeners can make beverages easier to control and safer.
Offering thickened electrolyte drinks can help keep dehydration at bay as well. Additionally, gelatin-based desserts can help with hydration. Smoothies are likewise an effective solution for providing fluids while also giving dysphagia patients added nutrients. They’re naturally thicker than conventional beverages, so they’re easier to control.
Modifying Foods and Beverages for Dysphagia Patients
For people with dysphagia, the foods and drinks most people take for granted can be difficult to manage and even dangerous. That leaves dysphagia sufferers with limited options. Making the dietary adjustments mentioned here will give them more choices and potentially make mealtime more enjoyable for them. It’ll also help reduce the risks of aspiration, choking, malnutrition, and dehydration.