Swallowing disorders: more than five million affected
02.05.2016 18:26
More than five million people in Germany suffer from swallowing disorders, and the trend is increasing. Dysphagia, as it is medically called, can occur in various diseases. People are most often affected after a stroke, as an expert reported in the run-up to the 87th annual meeting of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNO-KHC), but also in children and especially Swallowing problems occur in older adults.
People swallow up to 2,000 times a day without having to think about it. What seems obvious to most is no longer possible for many.
“Depending on the age group, between 1.7 and 11.3 percent of all people suffer from swallowing disorders,” reports Professor Christiane Hey, chief physician in the phoniatrics and pediatric audiology department at the Marburg University Hospital.
For those affected, impaired swallowing means a significant reduction in quality of life, which makes psychological, social and, if necessary, professional reintegration more difficult,” explains Professor Hey. In adults, tumors in the head and neck area are often responsible for dysphagia. In old age, swallowing disorders can occur as part of dementia. However, the most common causes are strokes.
“We are not talking about swallowing problems that occur as a result of infections, nor about heartburn or throat pain. In the case of dysphagia, which we are talking about here, the food pulp gets into the trachea when accidentally swallowed. This can lead to dangerous pneumonia, but also to malnutrition and malnutrition,” warns Professor Hey. The result can be a prolonged hospital stay, and dying from pneumonia due to dysphagia is not uncommon. Dysphagia leads to a significant reduction in quality of life, which makes psychological, social and sometimes professional reintegration difficult. There are currently no figures on the economic costs in Germany. For the USA, a study estimated the economic impact of a swallowing disorder at $547,307,964 per year. “Costs that are due to the dysphagia not being recognized and treated in a timely manner,” says the expert. Professor Hey points to the good experiences in treating stroke patients. Most stroke units today carry out dysphagia diagnostics and therapy. “Comprehensive care concepts have been created for swallowing disorders as a result of head and neck cancer,” says Professor Hey. “Swallowing in aging, multimorbid people is also increasingly the subject of clinical care and research.”
However, there is still a lack of supply structures in other areas. Professor Hey mentions swallowing disorders after long-term ventilation in intensive care units or swallowing disorders in children. The diverse causes of swallowing disorders are the reason why so many different medical and therapeutic disciplines are involved, “like hardly any other disease,” says Professor Hey. She sees a particular challenge here for ENT doctors: “Swallowing disorders were, are and are increasingly becoming a central core area of ENT medicine. The goal must be to establish comprehensive care for all those affected." The expert will speak about the causes and treatment options for swallowing disorders as well as the care situation in Germany at tomorrow's press conference in Düsseldorf on the occasion of the 87th annual meeting of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery eV (DGHNO-KHC).