Swallowing and Parkinson’s Disease: The Patient’s Perspective
Swallowing difficulties have been linked to medical problems, social withdrawal, decreased self-esteem, and increased mealtime anxiety. Problems with swallowing have also been found to adversely impact quality of life. In our survey, swallowing difficulties were highly prevalent for the participants in this study: 67% of the participants reported that they experience swallowing difficulties. The majority of participants in this survey, however, are unaware of common swallowing assessment procedures, and even fewer have had a swallowing assessment or discussed treatment, despite the high rate of individuals reporting such swallowing. Information about and recommendations pertaining to swallowing functioning in individuals with PD are discussed in the report.
