Mini Review - Otolaryngology Online Journal (2021) Volume 11, Issue 3

Swallowing Endoscopic Evaluation with Flexibility

Anatoli Pataridou^*

Research Associate, Ent Head & Neck Surgeon Robotic Surgery, Hygeia Hospital, Greece

*Corresponding Author:

Anatoli Pataridou
Research Associate, Ent Head & Neck Surgeon Robotic Surgery, Hygeia Hospital, Greece
E-mail: anatolipataridou@windowslive.com

Received Date: March 22, 2021; Accepted Date: March 24, 2021; Published Date: March 31, 2021

Mini Review

Dysphagia Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing foods or liquids, resulting from a blockage in the throat or oesophagus, ranging from mild to severe.

Common Causes Swallowing problems may have a variety of causes that aren't related to a disease. Large bites of food, insufficient chewing, dry mouth, pills, or food that is too hot are all examples. When talking, laughing, or lying down, swallowing is often difficult.

Dysphagia, or else swallowing disorders, are associated with any subjective or objective difficulty in swallowing solid or liquid foods or the appearance of coughing or choking when swallowing. It is a very serious symptom that should be treated promptly, to avoid more serious complications for the patient. Dysphagia may be seen at various age groups, from infants to the elderly and may be the result of head and neck diseases, mouth, pharynx, larynx, palate malignancies, neuromuscular disorders, neurological diseases (multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease etc.), strokes, or it may follow after head injuries, complications in surgery, or x-raying in the head and neck area. In children, it is mainly due to congenital disorders, while in the elderly mainly due to degeneration of the central nervous system causing dysfunction in swallowing and other neurological diseases that lead to loss of consciousness, etc.

Swallowing disorders, however, can also occur suddenly, if they are a result of a car accident, trauma or postoperative complication, and in these cases immediate restoration of the feeding function is required for the patient’s survival. This can happen during feeding via a Levin tube or even gastrostomy. Dysphagia is being diagnosed with a very specialized and affordable test, which can be done at the clinic, at the hospital or at home if the patient cannot be transported. This examination is known as FEES (Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing).