Dysphagia. A difficult diagnosis to swallow!
16 March 2021
Do you know the average Australian swallows 500-700 times a day. That’s around three times an hour during sleep, once per minute while awake and even more during meals.
Most Australians are unaware how difficulty with swallowing can be frightening and life threatening. It’s why on Wednesday 17 March 2021, Peta Graciet, Senior Speech Pathologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, SCGH, is promoting Swallowing Awareness Day.
Swallowing Awareness Day 2021 is an opportunity to bring attention to swallowing disorders and to connect people with speech pathologists, the professionals who can help. Speech Pathologists assess and treat people with Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) – pronounced ‘dis-fay-juh’.
The theme for Swallowing Awareness Day in 2021 is: ‘Dysphagia. A difficult diagnosis to swallow!’
Around 15‐30 per cent of people aged 65+ living in the community have a swallowing difficulty, with that figure rising to over 50 per cent for older Aus...