Can you take the #ThickenedLiquidChallenge?
The National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (NFOSD) is currently hosting a #ThickenedLiquidChallenge. The challenge is to help increase awareness of swallowing disorders and demonstrate patient unity.
Patients who have trouble swallowing can accidentally get thin liquids into their lungs, which can lead to pneumonia and even death. If patients don’t get enough fluids, though, they become dehydrated. One remedy is to add thickening powders to water, coffee, milk, broth, or other beverages to make them safer for these patients to drink. The physician prescribes what consistency the patient should make their drinks: nectar-thick, honey-thick, or pudding-thick.
As soon as the challenge was brought to my attention, I decided to drink up, given our connection to the cause. For those of you who don’t know, the Cook Medical Otolaryngology SBU (OHNS) sells Hercules esophageal dilation balloons. Otolaryngologists and laryngologists use these balloons to help treat dysphagia and other swallowing disorders. We also are developing a partnership with NFOSD focused on patient education.
Here’s my video entry to the #ThickendLiquidChallenge. I chose chamomile tea, which is my normal morning beverage of choice. This morning, though, my cup of tea is thickened to a honey consistency using a starchy powder. I don’t want to scare you away from taking the challenge, but I have to say that I now have a much better understanding what patients with swallowing disorders have to endure!
NFOSD provides the recipe for thickening your beverage so you can take the challenge yourself and send them your own video. If you accept the challenge, tweet us @CookOHNS or leave a comment below.
Drink up!
To learn more about swallowing disorders, visit the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders website.
Having had GERD for over 30 years, I can empathize with those suffering from dysphagia. Before this condition was finally controlled through medication and endoscopies, eating and drinking was not something to look forward to. It as horrible at first; I literally turned color as it felt like a choking sensation when swallowing. In fact, one year I had 7 endoscopies! Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this condition.
Thank you for sharing Chris. Swallowing disorders can be so debilitating and I think it is great to raise awareness. My sister is a speech pathologist who specializes in rehabilitation of patients following laryngectomy and CVAs and from what I understand drinking thickened fluids is no easy task..
What a wonderful way to raise awareness of such a terrible condition.
My mother suffers with this due to a stroke two years ago. Thanks for raising awareness!
I look forward to seeing Gina Mechtenberg take on this challenge! 🙂
It just goes to show what we all take for granted every day. Thanks for making us more aware.
Great initiative for creating awareness towards this terrible disorder.
Love that you are putting yourself in your patients’ shoes!
Great way to gain awareness to this terrible disorder! Thank you for sharing sharing and challenging the team!