Dysphagia and the older patient

Older patients are more prone to developing diseases linked to dysphagia - such as Cancer, stroke or advanced Alzheimer's disease - than the general patient population.  However, dysphagia is not limited to the older pateint population - it can affect people of any age.
 
It has been estimated that up to 40% (Finestone, 2003) of stroke patients suffer from swallowing difficulties and a survey of patients undergoing palliative care showed that 63% (Stevenson, 2002) of patients with carcinoma reported symptoms of swallowing difficulties

Decline in salivary gland function is common as patients get older. This can result in xerostomia (dry mouth), which in turn can contribute to dysphagia. It has been shown that between 15% (Wright, 2002) and 33% (Stevenson 2002) of patients in nursing homes have trouble swallowing medication.

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