I myself struggle with pseudo-dysphagia, which I will go on to discuss in more detail later, but I have gained a large amount of knowledge around dysphagia from working for the Dysphagia Training Team for almost 4 years. I won't go into immense detail about dysphagia on my page, but I will be discussing the basics of this condition.
What is Dysphagia / Pseudo-dysphagia?
Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing. Any disruption to the swallowing process may be defined as dysphagia. This condition occurs in 25-45% of all patients in acute care settings and up to 60% of residents in institutionalised elderly settings (Paterson). Any person presenting neurological, structural, physical, cognitive or behavioural problems may be at risk of dysphagia such as someone who has had a stroke, those with dementia, someone with Parkinson's Disease etc.
Pseudo-dysphagia means fear of choking. This is an uncommon phobia where a person is so afraid of choking that it affects the way they eat. Although someone with this condition does not have a physical condition that disrupts the swallow, the anxiety felt around eating and drinking can cause physical symptoms and can be a very distressing experience for the person.
Difficulties of having dysphagia / pseudo-dysphagia
How Pseudo-dysphagia has affected me since the age of 11