Question About Speech Pathology - Cerebral Palsy Message Board

Hope25 · 06-27-2005, 07:51 PM

Must you go to a speech pathologists if you're interested in strengthening your tongue/mouth area, as well as saliva control? Who do you seek health for such help?

Hope25 · 06-27-2005, 08:05 PM

Ok, I must admit I've been having some issues lately that I think they have come to become psychological as well. I couple weeks ago I was watching some tv and had a handful of chips in my hand and eating one by one. Needless to say, I was watching a concert and was really focused on it, when suddenly I swallow some part of the chip whole. That caused some asphyxiation and I thought I was going to die. Slowly it went down, and almost a month later I have developed anxiety issues with eating.

Being that my cp has effected my speech/mouth area, I feel at times I either don't chew my food very well or even more scary is that my tongue sort of "pushes" unchewed food torward the back, making me swallow unchewed food.

I have thus spent literally an hour eating a plate of food, and also questioning whether the food is "chewed enough" to swallow.This has scared me quite a bit.

I don't have health insurance and I was told to see a neurologist, however I have a feeling he will tell me to do exercises for the tongue or something.

In any event, this has really scared me and I think I need to find a way to deal with this. Any advice? Yes I chew very slowly, and put bits in my mouth. However I do have some anxiety prior to eating meat and even salad since I've also choked on an onion and salad ends. Any thoughts?

Steffers2318 · 06-28-2005, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hope25

Must you go to a speech pathologists if you're interested in strengthening your tongue/mouth area, as well as saliva control? Who do you seek health for such help?

I am sure seeing a SLP could help, they could teach you excercises. I don't know about saliva control, there may be nothing you can do about that, but perhaps strengthening or learning to coordinate the mouth muscles would be beneficial.

I know SLPs work with swallowing issues in people with Parkinsons disease and things like that, so you may want to mention your problems with eating if you see a SLP. Often all they can do is tell the person that they must change their diet, to softer foods or even a liquid diet...but I'm not saying that's what would happen to you. Who knows, they may also tell you to see a neurologist.

You can put the area where you live into this site and it will give you the names of SLPs around you: http://www.asha.org/proserv/

mdctlew · 06-28-2005, 09:18 PM

HI chewing gum is great for all the areas which you are in question . but yes a S.T can help you as well .. debbie