| SPEECH |
| Our Mission Statement |
People are our priority. We help them achieve
their best through personalized care and clinical
excellence.
Language is essential to our daily living, learning,
working, and enjoying life. Agape speech therapists
(also known as speech-language pathologists) teach
patients how to express themselves through language
in different ways, including: speech, sign language,
writing, and computerized communication devices.
Our speech therapists also assist people with swallowing
disorders (also called dysphagia). Problems in this
area stem from three key phases:
- oral -- sucking, chewing, and moving food
or liquid into the throat
- pharyngeal -- swallowing reflex, squeezing
food down the throat, and closing off the airway
to prevent food or liquid from entering the
airway (aspiration) or to prevent choking
- esophageal phase-- relaxing and tightening
the openings at the top and bottom of the feeding
tube in the throat (esophagus) and squeezing
food through the esophagus into the stomach
Swallowing problems in adults can be triggered
by:
- Stroke
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Parkinson' s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou
Gehrig's disease)
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Alzheimer's disease
- Problems affecting the head and neck, including:
- Cancer in the mouth, throat, or esophagus
- Injury or surgery involving the head and neck
- Decayed or missing teeth, or poorly fitting
dentures
Many other diseases, conditions, or surgical
interventions can result in swallowing problems.
General signs may include:
- coughing during or right after eating or drinking
- wet or gurgly sounding voice during or after
eating or drinking
- extra effort or time needed to chew or swallow
- food or liquid leaking from the mouth or getting
stuck in the mouth
- recurring pneumonia or chest congestion after
eating
- weight loss or dehydration from not being
able to eat enough
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