Swallowing Disorders: Causes and Number

• What causes swallowing disorders in adults?
• How common are swallowing disorders?
• The ASHA Leader articles

What causes swallowing disorders in adults?

Some causes of feeding and swallowing problems in adults are:

Damage to the nervous system, such as:

• stroke
• brain injury
• spinal cord injury
• Parkinson's disease
• multiple sclerosis
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease)
• muscular dystrophy
• cerebral palsy
• Alzheimer's disease

Problems affecting the head and neck, including:

• cancer in the mouth, throat, or esophagus
• injury or surgery involving the head and neck
• decayed or missing teeth, or poorly fitting dentures 

How common are swallowing disorders?

Information about how many adults have swallowing disorders is available in ASHA's report titled "Communication Facts: Special Populations: Dysphagia."

The ASHA Leader articles

• A Client's View
• Dialogue on Dysphagia
• Dysphagia and Dementia
• Dysphagia Care is "Major Clinical Focus" at Veterans Health Administration
• Electrical Stimulation Aids Dysphagia
• National Dysphagia Diet
• Syringe Feeding in Long-Term Care
• Treating Dysphagia With sEMG Biofeedback

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