Why Does Dysphagia Happen

How does dysphagia occur? Dysphagia occurs when there is a problem with the neural control or the structures involved in any part of the swallowing process. Weak tongue or cheek muscles may make it hard to move food around in the mouth for chewing.

What are three disorders that cause dysphagia?

• a stroke.
• neurological conditions that cause damage to the brain and nervous system over time, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and motor neurone disease.
• brain tumours.
• myasthenia gravis – a rare condition that causes your muscles to become weak.

How common is dysphagia?

Dysphagia is a common condition; it affects approximately 13.5% of the general population but is more common in seniors. As more people live to older ages, the incidence of dysphagia is increasing. It affects 19-33% of individuals older than 80 years-of-age, and up to 50% of individuals living in a nursing home.