Do you or someone you know have difficulty swallowing?

Living with dysphagia is made easier by identifying and managing the symptoms. The highlighted link above is an excellent 30 page information resource booklet for learning about difficulty in swallowing and what to do about it. Additional information in this little book offers contact phone numbers for service providers and site addresses to access for people living in Australia. The content of the book is also very useful for those living outside Australia. You will find information in the book about the following areas of interest:

• Definitions and symptoms
  Swallowing process
  What is Dysphagia?
  Causes of Dysphagia?
  Who does it affect?
  How is it diagnosed?

• Quality of life
  Risk factors and problems associated with Dysphagia
  How do you manage Dysphagia?

• Support
  How can family and friends help?
  Who can help?

• Glossary
  

Dysphagia may occur for some people following treatment with botulinum toxin for dystonia. Specifically, laryngeal dystonia (spasmodic dysphonia) and also for cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis).

If you would like to read a summary of the booklet or have specific questions to ask, please leave a comment by clicking on ‘comments’ below or email me (s.j.bayliss@bigpond.com.au) and I will get back to you. Although we may access excellent resource material on the web, there is no substitute for discussing our concerns with the appropriate person in our treating specialist team.

The booklet discussed above prints out as two pages per A4 paper in landscape view. The cover page and rear page print out as portrait view. It does take some time to download.

Sue Bayliss. Cairns, Australia.