Dysphagia Difficulty with Swallowing My mother has problems eating. She keeps the food inside her mouth and sometimes her saliva drools out... What is it, and what should we do? What is Dysphagia? Dysphagia is a medical term that means abnormal (‘Dys’) swallowing (‘phagia’). How does Dysphagia occur? The windpipe and the food pipe (oesophagus) share the same opening (mouth). During normal swallowing, the mouth, teeth and tongue breaks food into smaller pieces, mixes it with saliva, and pushes it into the food pipe.
The opening to the windpipe (epiglottis) will close automatically to prevent food from going into the windpipe (trachea) when the food is passing by. Any part of this that cannot be done well enough can cause Dysphagia. Who does it affect? Elderly persons, or those with an illness affecting the brain or nerve (e.g. stroke) or the structure of the mouth and throat.
Swallowing Disorder (Dysphagia) Fluid or food particles enter into the windpipe