Senior Health Swallowing Changes with Age 1/21/2025 | By Marissa Nguyen Much like the rest of our bodies, swallowing changes with age. While we may not realize this is happening, it can affect our enjoyment of eating and drinking as well as our overall health. Speech pathologist Marissa Nguyen explains. Have you ever wondered why it is harder to eat and drink the things you love as you age? To make it simple, our swallow muscles age similarly to the muscles in the rest of our body, resulting in weakness. This can then result in difficulty chewing and swallowing foods and drinks that were once easy to gulp down. Difficulty swallowing is also referred to as “dysphagia.” This article covers five signs you may have dysphagia and what to do next. Five signs of swallowing changes with age 1. Increased coughing or “choking” sensation while eating or drinking If you experience coughing with foods and/or liquids during meals due to a sensation of food and/or liquid sticking in the back of your throat or things “going down the wrong pipe,” this is a sign of possible dysphagia. If this happens to you often, it is a good idea to ask your provider about a referral for a swallow test to look at how the muscles of your throat are functioning while eating and drinking. 2. Feeling fatigued during meals If you find yourself getting tired during meals, are the last one at the dinner table due to a slow rate of eating or opt to not finish your meals due to frustration, this may be a sign of difficulty swallowing. As we age, the muscles of our mouth and throat weaken which can result in reduced endurance to finish a meal in one sitting. 3. Unintentional weight loss Going along with fatigue during meals, if you find yourself losing large amounts of weight without trying, this may be a sign of difficulty swallowing. This can be due to several reasons specific to your medical history. A couple general reasons may include eating less due to frustration with swallowing during meals and less volume of food reaching your stomach for digestion due to food and/or liquid sticking in the throat or going down the wrong pipe. 4. Presence of risk factors In addition to normal aging, some people have risk factors that can contribute to trouble swallowing that are unique to an individual’s medical history. General risk factors for difficulty swallowing include a history of stroke, radiation to the head and neck, prolonged hospitalization, diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disorder, certain autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, spinal cord injury, surgery to the head or neck, etc. Talk to your medical provider if you have trouble swallowing along with the presence of the above risk factors. 5. Feeling food regurgitate into your mouth and/or throat after swallowing If you feel like food or liquid backflows into your mouth and/or throat after swallowing, this could be an indicator of trouble with the mechanics of your swallow system including the function of your esophagus or “food tube.” Your esophagus is vital for transportation of food and liquid from your throat into your stomach. Talk to your medical provider for appropriate next steps in evaluation if you experience these symptoms frequently. While the five signs listed above are common culprits for swallowing changes with age, every individual is unique. If you are noticing any of the above symptoms or swallowing difficulties in addition to new full-body symptoms (trouble with mobility, abnormal muscle weakness, speech changes, etc.) please talk with your medical provider about a referral to a speech-language pathologist and any other necessary medical providers for evaluation. The good news is if you are experiencing dysphagia, there are different treatments to help! Following evaluation, a speech-language pathologist who specializes in swallowing disorders can provide many types of therapeutic techniques to improve swallowing function. This varies based on an individual and their specific medical diagnoses, but some general interventions include diet modifications, compensatory strategies, and/or therapy to strengthen the swallow muscles if indicated. With evaluation and treatment, you can often get back to enjoying the meals you love again! Related: How to make meals more appetizing for people with dysphagia Marissa Nguyen is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in voice and swallowing disorders at The Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation in Dayton, Ohio. Marissa evaluates and treats patients with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, of varying causes including normal aging process, neurodegenerative disorders, post-stroke, and head and neck cancer. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama and her master’s at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Marissa also completed her training in swallowing disorders through the Cincinnati, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas, Veterans Affairs hospitals. Read More Marissa Nguyen