aspirating?

Question

Can an elderly person who aspirates do so without coughing?? What does aspirating in an elderly person mean?

Answer 1

older people aspirate foods or liquids for a number of reasons
and do not necessarily cough which is why these people are monitored by staff whenever they eat or drink and a suction machine is always kept by the bedside or in the common dinning area
eats or drinks too quickly
loss of gag reflex
certain diseases such as Parkinson's disease- severe stroke etc
the food or liquid instead of going down the esophagus goes down the trachea as the epiglottis fails to close properly
this causes the substance ingested to go into the lung
which can cause aspiration pneumonia or respiratory distress or even respiratory arrest

that is why when an elderly person who is in a nursing home looses weight or has difficulty swallowing food or liquid a speech consult is ordered so a speech pathologist can evaluate swallowing and the gag reflex to prevent such a problem
this guides the physician to order the proper consistency diet
like soft chopped or pureed
some people only have problems with liquids then a liquid thickener would be ordered added to all liquids the person drinks

Answer 2

Yes ! If they have had a mild"stroke" the swallowing muscles in the throat can be effected. Many "light" or mild strokes go undetected. Please have this person see a MD ,they can perform some swallowing studies with an x-ray to find out if there's any weakness etc. Complications of aspiration are pneumonia that can be fatal,for the elderly ,the risks are very high. Take care. SW RNP

Answer 3

Aspirating usually indicates inhaling something that shouldn't be inhaled. For example, it's not uncommon for someone to aspirate their own vomit, if they get the flu. In an elderly person, this often leads to pneumonia, which can be fatal, due to the inabiity to fight it off.

Usually, no, you can't aspirate without coughing...that's the lung's way of trying to get rid of the offending substance.

Answer 4

Aspiration is the act of breathing either a solid a liquid into your lungs. We have a natural reflex (coughing) to prevent this from happening. Your esophagus prevents the foreign bodies from entering your lungs by covering your tracheal opening. If for some reason an individual has lost this reflex, then it is very possible that they aspirate something into their lungs. If possible, they should see a physician because whenever someone inhales unwanted objects into their lungs, there is a risk of infection and airway blockage.