I've noticed mom coughing more in the recent weeks after eating or drinking. She likes crunchiness it seems of foods like dry cereal and crackers. I'm afraid though this is contributing to coughing. Also when she talks and she seems to end up coughing in between finishing her thoughts. At one point when she was really weak and bedbound I pureed everything. She got stronger and developed a healthy appetite, but wondering when to go back to pureeing foods.
End of life swallow problems are not at all unusual and some dementias such as Lewy's has often a swallow problem component. But this is a huge danger to a senior. This coughing and choking is allowing small amounts of food to be not swallowed into the stomach, but to enter the lungs. Pneumonia is the result, and it can kill. It is called Aspiration Pneumonia. You can go to google or other search engine online to look this up.
Good luck. Do not ignore this. I hope you will update us.
I will get thickener for liquids. Right now she just drinks water, eats rice porridge or oatmeal, meals on wheels occasionally.
The body begins to forget to detect the difference between thin liquids and air thus it does not close the passage between the throat and the lungs.
Thickening liquids will help. thickening will go from what is called Nectar thick to Pudding thick.
You might want to discuss this with her doctor most likely a swallow test might be ordered but it is not necessary you can just begin to thicken liquids.
Jello is considered a thin liquid as it will begin to dissolve to a liquid. Same with Ice cream. Also stay away from slippery things like peaches, nectarines and plums just to name a few
Not thickening liquids and the subsequent choking can lead to Aspiration and Aspiration Pneumonia.
If you're wondering about pureed foods, and she's coughing, it's time to see a speech pathologist, ASAP, or a doctor who can recommend one and have a swallow study done. It's better not to wait, for any reason.
If she does have some dysphagia, a speech pathologist can diagnose that and advise what level she's at, as well as the proper diet, i.e., whether mechanical soft, or pureed, and pureed to what level.
If she does like crackers, try putting some applesauce on them; it will absorb the crumbs. My father used milk and I think some other liquid for his cereals, but our speech therapist advised these dry foods needed to either be avoided or the crumbs encased in something like applesauce.
When she was weak and bedbound, was she suffering from pneumonia?
The body begins to forget to detect the difference between thin liquids and air thus it does not close the passage between the throat and the lungs.
Thickening liquids will help. thickening will go from what is called Nectar thick to Pudding thick.
You might want to discuss this with her doctor most likely a swallow test might be ordered but it is not necessary you can just begin to thicken liquids.
Jello is considered a thin liquid as it will begin to dissolve to a liquid. Same with Ice cream. Also stay away from slippery things like peaches, nectarines and plums just to name a few
Not thickening liquids and the subsequent choking can lead to Aspiration and Aspiration Pneumonia.
As we get older we lose lubricant for our throats a lot of times medication has a lot to do with this. Your best bet is to see your PCP and address this issue.