Causes of Dysphagia

Difficulty with head and trunk control
Frequent or recurrent respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis
Dementia
Progressive Neurological Disease – Parkinson’s Disease, ALS/Lou Gehrig’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Muscular Dystrophy, Alzheimer’s Disease, etc.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC), fall, assault, etc.
Head, Neck, and/or Esophageal Cancer – Rad/Chemo, Reconstructive Surgery, etc.
Nervous System Infections – Meningitis, Tuberculosis, Encephalitis, etc.
Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) – Stroke
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Respiratory Failure – Tracheostomy & Ventilator
Deconditioning/Weakness from Lengthy Hospitalization
Status Post Intubation from a Surgery
Encephalopathy
Aging Process
Bell’s Palsy
Guillian Barre Syndrome
Cleft Lip and/or Palate