I had a stroke two years ago and STILL can't swallow – help!
Got a health-related problem? Send it to Zoe, email below
ASK DR ZOE I had a stroke two years ago and STILL can't swallow – help!
OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice.
Today, Dr Zoe helps a reader who is suffering from total dysphagia and wants to know which treatments are available.
Advertisement
2
Dr Zoe Williams helps Sun readers with their health concerns
Credit: Olivia West
2
This week a reader still does not have the ability to swallow following a stroke two years ago
Q) FOLLOWING a stroke two years ago at the age of 69, I have total dysphagia and have been peg tube fed since.
Everything else is back to normal except the ability to swallow but despite doing all the exercises, given by the Speech and Language Therapy team, nothing has worked.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy is private and expensive. Is there any other treatment available?
A) Dysphagia is the inability to swallow, which is why you have been fed via a tube into the stomach.
Advertisement
I'm sorry to hear that you haven't seen improvement despite support from SALT.
NMES aims to retrain the nerves and muscles, and SALT exercises increase effectiveness. But it lacks sufficient robust evidence at the moment to be rolled out.
However, it can be used as part of clinical trials or audits. A newer NHS-supported treatment, pharyngeal electrical stimulation, targets the throat's pharynx region. It aims to 'rewire' nerve pathways.
Clinical trials (eg, the PHADER study) show it improves swallowing safety and reduces aspiration risk in stroke patients. The NHS is also currently investigating transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) aimed to reactivate swallowing centres in the brain.
Advertisement
Other therapies include Botox if muscle stiffness is an issue and surgery to dilate the oesophagus. Do request a multidisciplinary reassessment (neurologist and SALT) to explore your options.
And do ask about NHS trials.
Send your questions for Dr Zoe to: health@thesun.co.uk
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Millions warned over unwanted side effect of antidepressants
Patients who regularly took three common drugs to treat mental health problems were more likely to encounter this problem, a study found Our weight can vary throughout our lives due to a variety of factors. Weight gain can be triggered by numerous elements, not all of which are within our control. Among other things, changes in diet, decreased physical activity, illness, injury, ageing and mental health issues can contribute. And, if the findings of a recent study are anything to go by, so does taking certain medications. Research published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that individuals taking certain antidepressants are at risk of weight gain. The study, which involved 183,118 participants, found that those taking escitalopram (Lexapro/Cipralex), paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat) and duloxetine (Cymbalta) were most likely to experience weight gain. A team from Harvard Medical School estimated that individuals who take escitalopram, paroxetine and duloxetine each had an associated 10 to 15 per cent higher risk of gaining five per cent or more of their baseline weight. Escitalopram, paroxetine and duloxetine are all prescribed for depression and anxiety, and are available on the NHS. However, escitalopram can also be used to help manage obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attacks and bipolar disorder. Paroxetine is also prescribed for OCD, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2023-24, roughly 89 million antidepressants were prescribed to about 8.7 million identified patients in England alone, according to the NHS. Over a meticulous two-year study delving into the effects of eight prevalent antidepressants, researchers made a groundbreaking discovery. Spanning an age range of 20 to 80 with a median age of 48, the study's participants had no prior history of antidepressant usage nor a recent diagnosis of cancer, pregnancy or weight-loss surgery. The researchers meticulously monitored weight at the outset, after six months, one year and two years post-commencement of antidepressant medication. Their principal aim was to measure the weight fluctuation after six months on antidepressants, using sertraline, a popular prescription, as a benchmark. The study revealed that sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) were among the most favoured by participants, reports Gloucestershire Live. After half a year, bupropion showed reduced weight gain when juxtaposed with sertraline. Conversely, escitalopram, duloxetine, paroxetine, venlafaxine (Effexor) and citalopram were linked to increased weight gain. Fluoxetine (Prozac) mirrored sertraline in terms of this side effect. Wrapping up their findings, the study authors said: "Small differences in mean weight change were found between eight first-line antidepressants, with bupropion consistently showing the least weight gain, although adherence to medications over follow-up was low. Clinicians could consider potential weight gain when initiating antidepressant treatment."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Health Secretary tells overweight voters they could save NHS £5billion a year by having one less fizzy drink a day
Overweight Brits drinking one less fizzy drink a day could save the NHS a whopping £5billion a year, according to Labour's new plan to tackle the obesity crisis. The government has estimated that if everyone reduced their diets by 216 calories a day - the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink - obesity rates would be halved. It comes as health secretary Wes Streeting and environment secretary Steve Reed outlined plans to improve Britain's overall health. Writing for The Mirror, they said: '[Drinking one less fizzy drink] would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again.' New data released last year revealed that England's obesity crisis has continued to deepen, despite billions being spent on treatment and prevention. Nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight, with an extra 260,000 people entering that category last year. More than a quarter (26.5 per cent) — an estimated 14 million people — are obese. Yesterday, it was revealed that supermarkets could be forced to ensure that shoppers make healthier food choices. Plans are being drawn up for supermarkets to promote fruit and vegetables to customers instead of fattening items like crisps and chocolate. These proposals are also believed to be part of Mr Streeting's ten-year NHS plan which is due to be published next week. Under the shopping policy, the largest retailers will be forced to record data which shows how successful they are in convincing consumers to swap out fattening items for healthier alternatives. It could result in supermarkets adjusting the layout of their stores so healthy items are displayed more prominently. Retailers have the ability to reformulate their own-brand products to make them more healthy as well as change signage and marketing to make nutritious foods look more appealing, according to policymakers. Details of the proposal are yet to be completely signed off but officials believe that providing supermarkets with clear targets on encouraging shoppers to make better choices could help reduce obesity levels in the country. The plans are based on a ten-year obesity blueprint which was developed by think tank Nesta. 'We urgently need to reshape our food system so that the healthier option is the easiest option for everyone, regardless of where you buy your food,' it said in its report. 'By implementing ambitious yet achievable mandatory health targets for retailers, we can make real progress towards these goals and start turning the tide on obesity once and for all.' Labour MPs have been asking the Health Secretary to adopt the proposals privately and all major supermarkets have been briefed on it. One Labour MP, who supports the policy, said: 'These are really simple things that you can change, and it may mean giving supermarkets a bit of a hit. 'But it's how you get people to make changes to their behaviour. 'It's a bit like the smoking in pubs. People were dead against it and then when they did it, even smokers supported it - that switch in behaviour that is seen as unthinkable, but that's how you change things.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Simple change in diets could save NHS £5bn - Labour's plan to fight obesity
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Environment Secretary Steve Reed as they outline plans to make Britain healthier, boost British farming and slash hospital waiting times If overweight Brits drank one less fizzy drink a day, it could reduce the obesity epidemic by enough to save the NHS £5 billion a year. That's the message from Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Environment Secretary Steve Reed as they outline plans to make Britain healthier, boost British farming and slash hospital waiting times. Food retailers and manufacturers will "make the healthy choice the easy choice" in partnership with the government. As part of the government's 10-year plan for the NHS, supermarkets will aim to make the average shopping basket of goods slightly healthier. This could be through tweaking recipes, changing shop layouts or offering discount and loyalty scheme incentives to promote healthier options. "It's become too easy to get hold of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat and too difficult to find healthier alternatives," the two ministers wrote in a joint article for this newspaper. They added this was "increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer and costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year." The government estimates obesity would be halved if everyone who is overweight reduced their diets by 216 calories a day - the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink. They wrote: "That would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again." Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, including among children. A forthcoming report by the Chief Medical Officer will reveal more than 1 in 5 children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school. That figure rises to almost 1 in 3 in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation. Central to the 10-year NHS plan will be a shift in focus from treatment to prevention, creating what ministers describe as a "more active state". Alongside the push for healthier supermarket shops, access to weight-loss injections is likely to be increased to reduce obesity. Meanwhile, patients will decide how much cash hospitals get from the government by rating their treatment as part of the 10-year plan. And for the first time, pay for doctors and nurses will be linked to their success in bringing down waiting lists. Mr Reed said a joined-up strategy was needed to tackle obesity while backing Britain's farmers and food producers. "Britain has some of the best farmers, growers, food manufacturers and retailers in the world, which means we have more choice than ever before on our shelves," he said. "It is vital for the nation that the food industry delivers healthy food, that is available, affordable and appealing. "Our food strategy will bring together the health plan, food producers and retailers to make sure we can feed the nation more healthily while growing the economic success of our food sector." Mr Streeting added: "Our brilliant supermarkets already do so much work for our communities and are trying to make their stores heathier, and we want to work with them and other businesses to create a level playing field. "Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure." Supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury's - as well as a raft of health charities - welcomed the move. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said: "All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good quality, affordable and healthy food. "At Tesco, we have measured and published our own healthier food sales for a number of years now - we believe it is key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions." And Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury's added: "We're passionate about making good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone and have been championing the need for mandatory health reporting, across the food industry for many years. "Today's announcement from Government is an important and positive step forward in helping the nation to eat well. We need a level playing field across the entirety of our food sector for these actions to have a real and lasting impact. "We look forward to working across Government and our wider industry on the further development of these policies and in helping to drive improved health outcomes across our nation." John Maingay, Director of Policy at the British Heart Foundation said: "A new standard to make meals across the UK healthier is a huge step towards creating a food environment that supports better heart health. This move recognises the vital role that businesses can play in supporting everyone to have a healthier diet. Katharine Jenner, Director, Obesity Health Alliance said: 'This is a fair and evidence-based prescription for better health; big businesses urgently need the government to level the playing field to help them focus on selling products that help people live well. 'The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult. Crucially, it puts the spotlight on the food industry and commits to holding it accountable for providing healthier options - rather than placing the burden on individuals who are already struggling to get by.' Our plan for a healthier nation By STEVE REED, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and WES STREETING, Secretary of State for Department for Health and Social Care Our nation is facing an obesity epidemic. The UK now has the third highest rate of obesity in Europe, with almost two thirds of adults in England overweight. And shocking figures show more than 1 in 5 children will be obese by the time they leave primary school, a figure that rises to 1 in 3 in the poorest areas. This is no accident. The health and wealth of our nation is dependent on the food available to shoppers and the food we produce on our farms. It's become too easy to get hold of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat and too difficult to find healthier alternatives, increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer and costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year. And we have lacked a coherent strategy to get more of our British farmers' world-leading produce into our shops. That's why this Government is tackling these problems now and for the future. We are launching a 10 Year Health Plan alongside the Food Strategy, and central to that will be a world-first partnership with the food industry to help people make healthier choices about what they eat. Food businesses will be required to report on how much healthy food they are selling, and using this information we'll work with the industry to set realistic targets to improve people's diets and health. This new approach to healthy food will help families make smarter choices, without putting unnecessary burdens on businesses. Businesses will have the freedom to meet the new standard however works for them. That could mean changing ingredients to make products more nutritious, altering shop layouts to encourage better choices, or changing loyalty schemes to promote healthier options. But to support this, we need our food industry to offer products that are affordable and appealing. Food that is good for our health produced in ways that don't harm the planet. At the same time, we are backing British farmers by committing to increase investment in food production, leading to more profitable farms and cutting-edge food manufacturing. We're setting ambitious goals– but the rewards for success are huge. Our ambition is for this generation of children to be the healthiest ever. If we can cut the average daily diet by just 50 calories – a portion of popcorn – we could stop 340,000 children and 2 million adults from being obese. Reduce diets by 216 calories – a single bottle of fizzy drink – and we could halve obesity. That would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again. By bringing Britain back to health, we'll get our NHS fighting fit. Greater prosperity in our farming businesses means more jobs, food that is better for our health, and exports to get the best of British food on plates around the world. We know our food system needs a clear vision to get healthier food on our plates and more investment in our farming and food businesses. This is why our strategies for health and food go hand-in-hand. As part of the Government's Plan for Change, we are building the foundations to make our country healthier and wealthier once again.
