What Is a Dysphagia Diet?
A dysphagia diet is used to treat dysphagia, a condition in which the patient has difficulty chewing and swallowing. Patients with dysphagia require a specialized diet because they have trouble eating normal foods, and hence receiving proper nutrition. A dysphagia diet has different levels designed to help the patient progress from liquids to more solid foods over time. There are two main types of dysphagia, esophageal dysphagia and oropharyngeal dysphagia. In esophageal dysphagia, digested material stops moving in the esophagus, the tube leading from the throat to the stomach. This may be due to acid reflux, the back up of stomach acid into the esophagus, causing inflammation and constriction of the esophagus. Esophageal dysphagia causes a burning sensation in the chest.
