#21 Swallowing Impairment in Parkinson's disease (Episode 1)

In this episode, I introduce the topic for the month of January on this podcast. The topic is swallowing dysfunction of Parkinson's disease. The medical term for swallowing impairment is dysphagia. This month we will dive deep into this topic reviewing the potential problems that may occur for people with Parkinson's disease. I introduce the topic today. In the following shows, we will discuss in great detail the testing options, treatment options, and nutritional support for swallowing impairment in Parkinson's disease. 

Swallowing impairment is under reported by patients and sometimes can be silent. Healthcare providers may under utilize diagnostic testing resulting in less people receiving the exact diagnosis and treatment protocol. Care partners and Caregivers can be great advocates for their loved one to receive testing when appropriate and treatment to prevent common complications of swallowing impairment. Ultimately, we desire to prevent aspiration pneumonia which is the most common cause of death in Parkinson's disease.