You searched for "swallowing"

1387 results found

Functional considerations in reconstruction after laryngectomy

With a plethora of different reconstructive options and techniques available after laryngectomy, it can be difficult to clearly see which give the lowest complication rates and best functional outcomes. This article aims to summarise the current evidence in swallowing and...

Hemilaryngopharyngeal Spasm (HeLPS)

The authors report an unusual case of hemilaryngopharyngeal spasm (HeLPS) with glossopharyngeal neuralgia with otalgia in a middle-aged female patient. Her symptoms included left-sided sharp, electric sensation like pain radiating from her left ear to the left side of her...

Association between dysphagia and sarcopenia: implications for assessment of older people

The onset of swallowing difficulties with progressive age is reported to occur in 13-35% of the elderly population. Sarcopenia is characterised by a decrease in muscle mass, strength and function. Sarcopenic dysphagia is a relatively new term. Its prevalence is...

Strengthen your communication: better conversations can reduce the risk of frailty

Our population is ageing and, with this, the incidence of frailty is increasing. Frailty is defined as increased vulnerability to stressors resulting in adverse outcomes. Stressors can include communication and swallowing difficulties, yet these are poorly recognised. Management of communication...

Demonstrating unobservable effects of therapy through PROMS: a review

Ultimately, healthcare should meet the needs of the people it is designed for. One way of measuring this is using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS). These tools capture the patient’s perspective and have been described as demonstrating the unobservable effects of...

Accurately diagnosing reflux to direct personalised treatment

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) frequently causes severe extra-gastrointestinal symptoms – such as a persistent cough, vocal problems, asthma or difficulty swallowing – that can be easily confused with a common cold and allergies.

BLA announces membership election results

The British Laryngological Association (BLA) has announced the results of its bi-annual election.

34th Congress of the Nordic Association of Otolaryngology

This triennial congress has provided a forum for otorhinolaryngologists in the Nordic countries to exchange knowledge and learn from each other for more than a century. Originally planned for 2020, this year's congress will bring together experts from the Nordic...

Surgical voice restoration after laryngopharyngectomy

Voice restoration is one of the key rehabilitative steps after laryngectomy or total laryngopharyngectomy (TLP). Patients who undergo TLP require reconstruction – increasingly commonly with microvascular free flaps. Despite their advantages in terms of fistula rates and swallowing outcomes, these...

Elevated prevalence of late-onset dysphagia among head and neck cancer survivors and identifying risk factors

Dysphagia is one of the most common problems affecting head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. There are few studies investigating late-onset dysphagia post-treatment. The authors set out to investigate the prevalence of dysphagia-related diagnoses and procedures five years’ post-treatment, changes...

All videoswallows are not performed equally…

Videofluoroscopy is one of the main instrumental tools used to assess swallowing biomechanics and physiology. In the UK, it is mainly within the remit of speech and language therapists (SLT) to perform videoswallows but there is considerable variability in both...

Is it necessary to put ventilation tubes at the time of surgery in children with cleft palate?

It is commonly understood that existence of a palatal cleft is associated with abnormal action of tensor veli palatini muscle. Frequent middle ear effusions therefore occur because this muscle obstructs rather than opens the Eustachian tube on yawning and swallowing,...