Vim & Vigor - Summer 2018 - University of Virginia - 8

to eat again with their family members
for Thanksgiving and other holidays.
When we can restore the ability to eat, it
restores their ability to have social interactions. This is a population at risk for
depression as a result of isolation. We
can cure that."
By the time Randy Sutler was referred
to UVA, he had lost 25 pounds and
couldn't swallow his own saliva. He
was headed for a feeding tube, but Dr.
Daniero cured him with a one-time
injection of Botox® (commonly used
cosmetically to smooth wrinkles). The
treatment relaxed the muscles in the
back of Sutler's throat. Within a day,
he was able to eat and drink again. He
avoids his favorite food-hamburgers-
and still struggles with pizza dough and

breads. He's also now taking medicine
to keep stomach acid from further damaging his esophagus.
"I learned through all of this that I
have to pay attention to what I eat,"
Sutler says. "Before, I just took it for
granted. I could eat anything I wanted.
Now, I cut meat up into small pieces,
make sure I chew my food really well,
and try not to talk when I'm eating so I
don't end up choking."
If the effect of the Botox wears off,
Sutler is a candidate for a more definitive
and minimally invasive laser surgery to
divide the same muscle that was treated
with Botox, Dr. Daniero explains. He
adds, "We will continue to follow his
response to medical treatment and discuss this option at his next visit." ■

Take Pills with
a SPOONFUL

OF APPLE
SAUCE

As we age, our muscles tend to
weaken. This also holds true for the
muscles that we need to eat and
drink. Swallowing is a complex process: It takes some 50 muscles and
many nerves to move food from our
mouth to our stomach.
Here are tips for eating safely.
Some are common sense but are
worth being reminded of:
Be in an upright position and
avoid talking while chewing
and swallowing.
Take a sip of liquid to help wash
down hard-to-swallow food such
as bread and meat.
Avoid foods with both a soft or liquid and hard component (such as
a chunky stew, and yogurt or ice
cream with nuts or fruit).
Take pills with a spoonful of applesauce or yogurt and swallow with
your mouth closed.
Regularly clean your teeth and
tongue (and dentures). This way,
if food does get into the windpipe,
there is less chance of introducing
dangerous bacteria into the lungs.

WEBSITE

Talk to
Your Doctor

SU M M ER 2 0 1 8

PHOTO BY KAY TAYLOR, UVA HEALTH SYSTEM

As UVA Health System speech-language pathologists, Casey Resnick and Elizabeth Turner help
people who have a swallowing disorder eat safely and get the nutrition they need while in and out
of the hospital. When swallowing muscles are not working properly, explains Resnick, "You might
notice coughing or throat clearing, particularly with liquids. Or you might feel like solid food is
sticking and not going down when you swallow. This puts a person at greater risk for choking,
getting food into the lungs and aspiration pneumonia, so it's important to have their swallowing
function evaluated."

If you or a loved one has
unexplained weight loss or
recurrent pneumonia, it's
important to be evaluated for
a possible swallowing disorder. Learn more at
uvahealth.com/swallow.

http://www.uvahealth.com/swallow

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