Thickening+Liquids+and+Modifying+Diets

=  = ==== Following a partial glossectomy the tongue may have difficulty moving food around in the mouth in preparation for swallowing. Thickening liquids is a common practice in managing adult dysphagia. Reasons for introducing thickened liquids include the clinicians perceptions of the patients ability to manage liquids orally and to protect the airway from aspiration of thin liquids, (Groher & Crary,2010). Soft or pureed or even liquid diets may help with this problem making foods easier to swallow. Eliminating specific food consistencis should often be a last resort in compensatory diet modifications, as it can often be quite upsetting for a patient to be told that thin liquids must be eliminated from the diet. Also thickening liquids may alter the taste of the liquid ( Garcia et al, 2005). The clinician really should take this into account when recommending thickened liquids for a patient. Obviously however if other compensatory strategies or direct therapy approaches do not eliminate aspiration of improve swallowing efficiency, certain consistencies should be eliminated. ====

====Similar to liquids foods may have to be modified to accommodate limitations in swallowing functions in adults with dysphagia.It is important to remember that like thickened liquids, texture modified diets are not always popular with adults with dysphagia ( Groher & Crary 2010). In an attempt to standardise menus and decision processes in the application of modified diets for adults with dysphagia, the "National Dysphagia Diet Report:Standardisation for Optimal Care", was put forward by the American Dietetic Association in 2002. ====

====The following link is to the National Dysohagia Diet: Standardisation For Optimal Care,( American Dietetic Association,2002). Its not possible to remember all of the textures and consistencies on each level so this book would be a very useful clincal tool for the SLT to have. []====

There is more information on the NDD in the following section 'Mealtime Guidelines for Modifying Diet'