The Human Body System

Dysphagia

 

This disease is called dysphagia but could also be known as having difficulty swallowing. There are many ways that this disease could be caused. A few of these reasons are if something is blocking the asophagus, there are earlier problems with the spine or nervous system, or even an immune system failure that causes the throat to swell.

This disease affects people of all ages. The most common age group, however is adults. Every year, this disease affects 300,000 - 600,000 people. Overall, about 15% of elderly adults have this disease. 

There are treatment options for this disease fortunately, but the options vary with the severity of the disease. For people who have mild form of this disease, a doctor may suggest different swallowing techniques or excercises. For other people who have this disease, but it affects their esophagus, need treatments such as: expanding the esophagus, taking medication, or surgery. For people with the most severe form of this disease, treatment options include using a food tube, or taking on special liquid diets. 

This disease is not preventable. It is associated with older people, so as you age, you might just get it. Since there are certain treatment options, the underlying cause can be discovered and fixed. This disease can be very mild and cause very little problems which is fortunate, and it is rare to get a very severe form of this disease.