Unit 1 - Dysphagia (e-book)

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1.4 Detection and diagnosis

1.4.1 Detection

Signs detection is an essential part of the treatment of dysphagia people. When dysphagia is underestimated, unrecognized (so-called silent dysphagia) or left untreated, they may lead to previous risks mentioned.

For this reason, training elderly or most vulnerable people in dysphagia and other swallowing complications is essential to carry out a correct treatment.

Training to detect dysphagia signs, you should follow next steps:

  • Keep a close eye on: Control your state of health: weight variations, fatigue, food rejection, swallowing difficulty and other problems. They may indicate a health problem.

  • Get informed: request information from the health professionals of your health center or disability association.

  • Detect: Identify the usual signs of dysphagia and how often they appear.

  • Act: Inform the reference health professional. Follow the specialist's instructions regarding posture, diet and other relevant habits


Dysphagia

Figure 8. Infographic on the importance of dysphagia detection (Source: designed by Canva Pro).

Infographics available for download on the training platform (https://indeed-project.org/).