COVID-19 Connection
- Linia Willis
- Jul 27, 2021
- 1 min read
Spread the word—Let’s make dysphagia a household name.
It seems more and more these days in conversation, the phrases “Well before the pandemic”, “Pre-covid”, and “but then COVID hit”, are often clarifying interjections. Everything we do socially is now intentional with the backdrop of caution. One of the earliest known symptoms of COVID-19 was loss of smell ( anosmia). Taste and enjoying food is directly linked to the sense of smell. Another COVID-19 link to swallowing is the incidence of stroke in positive patients. Dysphagia affects more than 50% of stroke survivors according to the NIH. Let’s debunk the myth that swallowing difficulty occurs only in older adults. Hospital complications such as prolonged intubation, xerostomia (dry mouth) and cracked lips from mouth breathing/high flow oxygen, and oral thrush are all factors in disrupting typical swallowing ability and appetite.
Spread the word—Let’s make dysphagia a household name.
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