Swallowing and Choking Issues
Original Post: I read The Polio Paradox two years ago. Everything that's happening to my body is exactly what you wrote about. Everything is worse, including difficulty swallowing. I have also realized that running out of breath when speaking is pretty frightening.
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Poliovirus-damaged brain stem neurons that control the vagus nerve that carries commands from the brain stem to activate muscles in your throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines, are the cause of swallowing problems. Vagus damage disrupting the normal functioning of the gut may explain our 2000 Post-Polio Survey findings that swallowing difficulty, diarrhea, colitis, ulcers and constipation are as much as six times more common in polio survivors than in non-polio survivors.
Polio survivors have also been reporting another problem: Food sticking in the upper esophagus. We think this is due to the vagus not stimulating esophagus muscles to move the food downward. When food gets stuck, irritation triggers a painful esophagus muscle spasm that also stimulates the vagus nerve.
Polio survivors having frequent or severe trouble swallowing problems should see an ENT doctor and may need a video swallow study to find their cause and make sure something other than PPS isn’t causing the trouble. Usually, slowly eating small bites of food, drinking water after each bite, tucking your chin or turning your head to one side when you swallow, swallowing several times, and eating your big meal when you’re most rested is all that’s needed to treat swallowing problems.
Talk to your physician. Often, a speech therapist can help you learn tricks to beat your unique problems.