Eating, drinking and swallowing is an essential part of our day and is often taken for granted, but for some of us it's not that easy.
Dysphagia, or eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, can affect a person’s quality of life and lead to other health complications.
North Belfast man John Toal knows all too well the importance of being referred for Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for a professional swallowing assessment.
Read more: Co Down woman on her fight to help others facing endometriosis agony and suffering in silence
John, 40 and from Ardoyne, has a learning disability, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. He choked a few times and sought advice from an SLT team to help stop choking.
Following a swallowing assessment, John received direct therapy to help him reduce his risk of choking and now believes that his positive experience of SLT saved his life.
Choking has been identified as one of the leading causes of preventable death in people with learning disability.
"In 2012 I choked a few times and it really scared me. I choked on a ham and bacon bap and needed first aid because I didn't know what to do," John explained.
"My family were really worried about me so after that I had an assessment from the SLT team who did a report all about my swallowing difficulties and educated me about it. I was given a personal resource outlining what I can and cannot eat - what's safe and what's not."
Ever since, John has been a proud advocate for people with swallowing difficulties and has even fronted a booklet and DVD campaign and given talks to help increase awareness of choking, promote safe eating and reduce avoidable death and adverse harmful effects from choking.
"Before I worked with Speech and Language Therapy I didn’t know choking was so serious. I had to learn to change what I eat and how I eat and I haven't choked since then.
"This is me telling my story and how I feel about being through it so even if I help one person, it will be fantastic," he added.
John shared his story to mark Swallowing Awareness Day, a time to raise awareness of how Speech and Language Therapists help people living with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.
This year it takes place on Wednesday, 15 March as part of NHS Nutrition and Hydration Week (13 – 19 March).
Olivia Compston, a Speech and Language Therapist at the Belfast Trust, supports the communication and swallowing needs of adults like John with a learning disability.
Not many people are aware of the role of SLTs in this area and Olivia says there is a wider misconception of what they do. She is also raising awareness of the important work SLTs all over the world do to support those living with dysphagia.
Dysphagia can be found in all stages of life, including in infants, children and young people and adults. It often occurs with other health conditions, such as being born prematurely, having learning disabilities, dementia and stroke.
If not treated appropriately, dysphagia can lead to other health complications, reduced quality of life, and potentially life-threatening consequences.
Olivia said: "It's a very common misconception that the role of SLTs is all about speech sounds and elocution but it's very vast. It covers all sorts of communication and swallowing needs and across all ages from babies right up to the elderly.
"The reason behind it is that the mechanisms used to speak are pretty much the same as those used to eat, drink and swallow so that falls within our remit alone.
"Speech and Language Therapists are the only professionals qualified to assess, manage and treat swallowing difficulties."
Speech and Language Therapists like Olivia play a key role in the diagnosis and management of dysphagia and help people regain their swallowing through exercises, techniques and positioning.
SLTs also promote patient safety through modifying the texture of food and fluids, reducing the risk of malnutrition, dehydration and choking.
They also improve quality of life and mental and physical wellbeing by taking into account an individual’s and their families’ preferences and beliefs, and helping them adjust to living with swallowing difficulties.
"It's something that people don't really know about until it comes to your door, whether that's affecting you personally or a loved one," Olivia added.
"Up to 90% of those with Parkinson's disease can have swallowing difficulties and around 15% of adults with learning disabilities also present with swallowing difficulties.
"It's something you can be born with or can develop at any point in your life so a lot of people can be confused when they develop swallowing issues and a Speech Therapist turns up at their door."
READ NEXT:
Vital support maintained for Northern Ireland dentists but further action needed
- Spring Covid booster jabs being rolled out across Northern Ireland
NI women open up on how they recovered from strokes at just 15 and 30
NI woman on finding comfort in Hospice Walks after losing her parents
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
