#21 Swallowing Impairment in Parkinson's disease (Episode 1)

01/10/22 • 13 min

In this episode, I introduce the topic for the month of January on this podcast. The topic is swallowing dysfunction of Parkinson's disease. The medical term for swallowing impairment is dysphagia. This month we will dive deep into this topic reviewing the potential problems that may occur for people with Parkinson's disease. I introduce the topic today. In the following shows, we will discuss in great detail the testing options, treatment options, and nutritional support for swallowing impairment in Parkinson's disease.
Swallowing impairment is under reported by patients and sometimes can be silent. Healthcare providers may under utilize diagnostic testing resulting in less people receiving the exact diagnosis and treatment protocol. Care partners and Caregivers can be great advocates for their loved one to receive testing when appropriate and treatment to prevent common complications of swallowing impairment. Ultimately, we desire to prevent aspiration pneumonia which is the most common cause of death in Parkinson's disease.

Previous Episode

#20 Happy New Year! New Season of Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast Ahead!

Thank you for supporting the Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast in 2021! We are looking forward to a great year ahead.
The format of the Podcast will change slightly this year. Each month or two, the podcast will focus on a clinical problem that is commonly reported in the PD clinic. I will dedicate the weekly shows to this topic and dive deep into the information you need to know related to this topic. I will add interviews with patients, care partners, caregivers, and other experts to provide you with detailed information on the diagnostic information as well as treatment protocols for you to consider with your loved one and their health care provider.
The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.

Next Episode

#22 Swallowing Impairment in Parkinson's Disease (Episode 2) (Interview with Juliana Harl, Speech-Language Pathologist)

In this episode, I discuss the process of swallowing and areas of dysfunction of swallowing in Parkinson's disease. I explain the three phases of swallowing and many of the problems that occur in each stage related to Parkinson's disease. Then I describe testing available to assess for swallowing dysfunction.
To further explain the diagnostics available for swallowing impairment, I interviewed Juliana Harl, a Speech-Language Pathologist in practice who specializes in Parkinson's disease. She reviews various testing options and what she looks for in her assessments. She also provides recommendations that caregivers may use at home to help assess their loved one with Parkinson's disease to empower you to raise a concern regarding swallowing function to your loved one's health care provider.
Join us next week for the final episode on swallowing impairment when we discuss treatment options as well as nutritional support.
The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.