747, Poonamalle High Road
(Opp. Pachaiyappa's College)
Kilpauk, Chennai-600010
+91 73977 68795
044 4074 2000
Swallowing Disorders Clinic
Swallowing problems (referred to as Dysphagia) can occur at any point in the process of moving food, liquid, or saliva from the mouth through the throat (pharynx), into the esophagus (food pipe) and to the stomach. The act of eating and drinking is something we take for granted. Current literature states that 5% of people have swallowing problems. One in two head and neck cancer patients suffer from swallowing disorders, while 80% of adults with motor neuron disease, children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, adults with stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease, mental illness and prolonged medical care suffer from dysphagia.
Swallowing disorders impact normal life not only for the patient but also their care givers. Dependence on feeding tubes, malnutrition, dehydration, recurrent chest infections and prolonged hospital stay increase the financial burden of families. Unfortunately, swallowing disorders remains undetected and untreated in many medical institutions and care homes globally. Treatment includes changes to eating habits, rehabilitation strategies and sometimes surgery (Phagosurgery). The objective of the clinic is to discover the cause of swallowing difficulties by comprehensive assessments and offer treatments that will allow for the safest, most efficient, and enjoyable swallowing possible thereby improving quality of life for both patients and their caregivers.
Symptoms of Dysphagia
- Coughing during or immediately after eating or drinking
- Frequent choking while eating or drinking
- Slow eating or taking long time to complete meals
- Inability to manage secretions from mouth and throat
- Difficulty chewing
- Not able to eat certain type of foods
- Food remains in the mouth after swallowing
- Liquids or Food spilling out of the front of the mouth
- Pain during swallowing
- Breathlessness during or after eating/drinking
- Change in voice (wet sounding voice) after eating/drinking
- Foods or pills getting stuck in the throat or chest after swallowing
- Drooling of Saliva
- Unexplained weight loss
- Recurring fevers or chest infections
- Regurgitation of foods
- Food or liquid going up the nose when swallowing
- A sense of a lump in the throat
- Fear of swallowing
- Food aversions and taste disturbances
Causes of Dysphagia
Dysphagia can have many different causes that impact the safe passage of food and liquid to the stomach, including:
- Cancers of the Head and Neck region (Mouth, Pharynx, Larynx, Thyroid)
- Cancers of Esophagus
- Following a Stroke
- Following a Traumatic Brain Injury
- After Brain Surgery
- Neurological conditions (Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis)
- Dementia
- Prolonged hospitalization
- Following Radiation treatment to throat and neck
- Severe Laryngo Pharyngeal Reflux
- Spasm of the Esophageal muscles
- Eosinophilic esophagitis
- Pharyngeal or Esophageal stenosis (Corrosive injury/ingestion)
- Scleroderma
- Fungal infection of the swallowing passage
- Achalasia
- Zenker’s Diverticulum
- Cerebral Palsy
- Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
- Following major surgeries to the chest or cervical spine or the head and neck region
- Tracheostomy tube dependency
- Age-Related changes
Specialized services offered
A variety of both outpatient and in-patient diagnostic services along with treatment programs are offered. These include:
- Internationally recognised Specialist expertise in evaluating and managing complex feeding and swallowing problems
- Clinical and imaging assessments are conducted as indicated
- Services are available for both children and adults with neurological impairment causing dysphagia.
- Assessment reports and recommendations are discussed in detail with the patient’s family or caregivers.
- Compensatory strategies taught and supervised
- Rehabilitation for speech and swallowing function after head and neck cancer treatment.
- Dedicated inpatient speech and swallowing service designed to improve quality of life and enhance recovery for head and neck patients (treated with surgery or radiation)
- Swallowing muscles strengthening and coordination exercise programs
- Biofeedback treatment based on Endoscopic and Videofluoroscopic evaluation
- Breathing retraining
- Educational resources for patients, family members, and health care professionals
- Transcutaneous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with biofeedback
- Procedures to stretch narrow areas of the swallowing passage
- Medical Management
- Phagosurgery (Surgical management of Dysphagia)
- Diet modifications
- Telerehabilitation
- Customised treatment programs for swallowing problems caused by nervous system diseases (Parkinson’s disease, Myasthenia gravis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Multiple sclerosis)
- Caregiver training for tube feeding and meal preparation
Facilities
- Clinical Swallowing Assessment
- Nutrition Assessment
- Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
- Modified Barium Swallow (Videoflouroscopy)
- Distal chip endoscopy for examining the upper aerodigestive tract
- In-office Transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE)
- Vital Stim Therapy
- Esophageal Manometry (off-site)
Departments
Special Clinics
Quick Links
Contact Us
-
No.747, Poonamallee High Road,
Alagappa Nagar, Kilpauk,
Chennai – 600 010.
(Opp – Pachaiyappa’s College) -
Reach us at: - +91 73977 68795
- 044 4074 2000
-
For Enquiries: - admin@thanchospital.com
-
For Appointments: - appointments@thanchospital.com
-
Pharmacy: - +91 73050 99901
-
Laboratory: - +91 73050 39903
Copyrights © 2025 THANC Hospital. All Rights Reserved.
Website by Vleafy