Definition of Swallowing Disorders and The Swallowing
Mechanism
Definition
Swallowing disorders, or dysphagia,
refers to any kind of difficulty in swallowing. Difficulty
can arise in any or all of the stages of the swallow mechanism as described
below.
The Swallowing Mechanism
Swallowing is divided into four stages:
I. Oral Preparatory Stage - This stage involves preparing the food or liquid to be swallowed. It includes receiving food and liquid in the mouth, keeping food in the mouth, moving the food from side to side, and chewing.
II. Oral Stage - This stage involves moving food/liquid from the front to the back of the mouth. It requires adequate lip, tongue, and cheek movement and strength.
III. Pharyngeal Stage - This stage involves movement of the food/liquid through the throat into the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat to the stomach). During this stage, adequate protection of the airway is needed to prevent misdirection of material into the airway.
IV. Esophageal Stage - This stage involves movement of food through
the esophagus and eventually into the stomach.
