Aspiration is a medical term for accidentally inhaling your food or liquid through your vocal cords into your airway, instead of swallowing through your food pipe, or esophagus, and into your stomach. Once past the vocal folds, the food or drink enters your windpipe, or trachea, and can pass into your lungs. It happens sometimes to healthy people who have food “going down the wrong pipe” while swallowing. When this happens, a normal voice box, or larynx, and trachea sense the food or drink, which triggers a strong cough to clear the item from your windpipe and protect your lungs.
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing, and it can affect people of all ages. If you or a loved one is experiencing difficulty swallowing regularly, please contact Naugatuck Valley ENT at (203) 578-4630 to schedule an appointment.
