Social importance of dysphagia: its impact on diagnosis and therapy
Farri A, Accornero A, Burdese C. Social importance of dysphagia: its impact on diagnosis and therapy. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2007 Apr;27(2):83-6. PMID: 17608136; PMCID: PMC2640007.
Most patients, who had previously considered mealtimes an opportunity to meet others and a social gathering, no longer believed them to be a pleasant aspect of their day on account of the difficulty in swallowing.
Dysphagia is a disorder which has a negative influence on the patient's life, worsening it qualitatively from both a social and an emotional point of view. The patient tends to isolate him/herself, and experiences a sense of discomfort and diversity compared to his/her fellows, leading to a decrease in self-esteem.
Outcomes show that dysphagic patients tend to isolate themselves more, and, in fact, many avoid eating out with other people, partly because they feel embarrassed, partly because they need assistance during meals and/or feel less interested in food which, however, is limited as far as concerns choice.
The latter, moreover, needs to be modified in consistency, minced and/or blended, depending on the severity of the dysphagia.
All these aspects contribute to making dysphagic patients feel uneasy, with a sense of "diversity" compared to their fellows, leading to loss of self-esteem.