Q. What should you not eat if you have dysphagia?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
People with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing food and/or liquids, must pay special attention to what they are consuming. Certain foods should be avoided due to the potential for choking or food getting stuck in the throat.
Patients with dysphagia should avoid hard and crunchy snacks like chips and nuts, as these may cause an obstruction in their throat if not chewed carefully. They also need to avoid whole fruit such as apples and pears since the skin can get lodged in the throat.
Solid foods that require more chewing power than normal need also be avoided; examples include meats, pretzels, crusts from sandwiches or pizza slices, dry cereal, etc. Furthermore any food which is sticky (honey) or thickened needs to be avoided as it might form a paste-like substance in their mouth making it difficult to swallow without choking on it.
Apart from solid foods there are certain types of drinks that people with dysphagia should stay away from too! This includes regular coffees (causing mucus build up) milkshakes (too thick), alcoholic beverages (can slow down nerves causing muscles working harder than usual). Carbonated drinks can cause excess gas which can lead to further difficulty while drinking while sugary drinks such as juices might increase saliva production leading again into difficulties during ingestion.. Patients needing assistance with hydration because of their swallowing disorder(s) are usually recommended safe options like sipping water throughout the day only after meals have been completed successfully respectively until next mealtime comes around again.
Overall patients living with dysphagia must ensure their diet does not contain large pieces of uncut fruits/vegetables nor anything too pureed either; however apart from refraining them from eating/drinking certain items at times more effort is required when chewing before ingesting - keeping patient’s safety at heart at all times!
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