SwallowStudy Blog

By: Karen Sheffler

Overcome Post-Bariatric Surgery Dysphagia

Overcome Post-Bariatric Surgery Dysphagia

Dysphagia After Bariatric Surgery: Tackling Complications Through IDDSI Integration and SLP Care By: Dr. Kevin Huffman, D.O., Board Certified Bariatric Physician; Co-author & Editor: Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S of SwallowStudy.com Introduction to Bariatric...

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3 Oral Health Updates & Actions

3 Oral Health Updates & Actions

Oral Health: 3 International Updates & Actions by Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S inspired by the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA & the session on March 28, 2025 titled: "Raising the Profile of Dysphagia on the Oral...

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Take the RAD out of Radiation! Radiation-Associated Dysphagia

Take the RAD out of Radiation! Radiation-Associated Dysphagia

Take the RAD out of Radiation-Associated Dysphagia (RAD): What We Know About Acute through Late Effects of Chemoradiation By Allison Bartholow, MS, MS, CCC-SLP & Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S of SwallowStudy.com April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month...

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Dysphagia Digest: Why DRS?

Dysphagia Digest: Why DRS?

This article highlights Why DRS conferences are so useful. The first reason is to make us question what we know and how we do things in the field of dysphagia. The specific example that the article dives deeply into is that of sensation, sensory mechanoreceptors, and a person’s sensory response to airway invasion (safety issue in swallowing with penetration and aspiration into the airway) and/or residue (efficiency issue with clearance of the bolus of food/liquid to the esophagus). We learned that it is the supraglottic space (above the level of the vocal cords) and the lower pharynx (throat) that have the most density of sensory mechanoreceptors and nerves (iSLN). Whereas, the vocal cords themselves have very little sensory receptors. Find out more by reading blog article and following links to original research by Dr. Thibeault & Dr. Foote.

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Dysphagia Protocol for People Post-Lung Transplant

Dysphagia Protocol for People Post-Lung Transplant

Path to a Dysphagia Protocol for People Post-Lung Transplant  by Sarah Russell, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S  Editor & Co-author: Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S of SwallowStudy.com Introduction It was early 2020. (Remember that time just before COVID-19 hit?) I sat in...

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Creating a Dysphagia Cookbook IDDSI-Style

Creating a Dysphagia Cookbook IDDSI-Style

Creating a Dysphagia Cookbook IDDSI-Style: Modern Dysphagia Cooking Guest Post by John Holahan, BS, MBA  Edited by Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S of SwallowStudy.com Introduction to My Path to a Dysphagia Cookbook This is a story about how you never know where...

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) & Dysphagia

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) & Dysphagia

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) & Dysphagia Guest Writers & Researchers in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Dysphagia: Ankita M. Bhutada, PhD; Emma Wallace, PhD and Kendrea L. Focht (Garand), PhD, CScD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CBIS, CCRE Editor: Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP,...

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