| If you already suffer from chewing and swallowing | | | | way," and minimize your chances of developing an |
| difficulty,and have been diagnosed with dysphagia | | | | aspiration pneumonia. (aspiration pneumonia often |
| (swallowing problem), you may have been referred | | | | develops when food or liquid gets into our lungs, and |
| to a speech pathologist/swallowing therapist for an | | | | in particular when we are weak or sick from a |
| evaluation and treatment. When specific exercises | | | | disease or illness). |
| are provided, depending on the nature of the | | | | Try These Exercises: |
| problem, they often include: techniques to improve | | | | Sit Up Straight. Inhale through your nose and mouth. |
| your ability to hold your breath during the swallow. | | | | Hold your breath for one or two seconds, while you |
| Surprised?? Many people don't realize that we are | | | | swallow hard. Following the swallow, exhale through |
| always either breathing or swallowing and can't do | | | | rounded lips. Try this first with just saliva, than try |
| them both at the same time. When it happens, you | | | | again with a liquid or smooth solid. |
| choke, or say something "went down the wrong | | | | Vocal glide: vocalize the vowel "eee" and slide your |
| pipe". | | | | voice up to the highest note you can without |
| Learning some exercises to help you breathe more | | | | straining. Hold for a second, and repeat 10x's. |
| efficiently, hold your breath longer and harder when | | | | Inhale through your nose and mouth and exhale |
| swallowing, and timing the swallow so you don't need | | | | through rounded lips ( pursed lips). You can also |
| to take a breath, are all things your therapist can | | | | exhale into a straw placed in a cup with a small |
| teach you. Vocal glides, a voice exercise, can also | | | | amount of water. How long can you keep the |
| help to lift the larynx during a swallow, a position that | | | | bubbles going as you exhale? The thinner the straw |
| helps to protect the windpipe from misdirected food | | | | the harder it will be to blow. |
| or liquid. And, finally, doing some respiratory muscle | | | | If you have a planned hospital stay and may be |
| strengthening exercises, using a resistive breathing | | | | immobile for a few days, and you also have a |
| device (think, weight training for the breathing | | | | neurological problem such as Parkinson's, ask your |
| muscles), can also improve coordination of breathing | | | | therapist to teach you some breathing exercises |
| and swallowing and improve you cough effort and | | | | BEFORE you go to the hospital. Strengthening your |
| power. A stronger cough may actually help clear | | | | breathing muscles and cough power, a good best |
| material if something does go "down the wrong | | | | defense against developing pneumonia. |