The key difference between supraglottic and super supraglottic swallow is that in supraglottic swallow, a person is instructed to cough right at the end of a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from going down into the airway, while in super supraglottic swallow, a person is instructed to do an effortful breath hold before a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from going down into the airway.
Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that involves areas such as oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, or gastroesophageal junction. If not treated, it may lead to malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, compromised general health, chronic lung disease, choking, and even death. People who suffer from dysphagia can use swallowing techniques to reduce complications. Supraglottic swallow and super supraglottic swallow are two such methods.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Supraglottic Swallow
3. What is Super Supraglottic Swallow
4. Similarities – Supraglottic and Super Supraglottic Swallow
5. Supraglottic vs Super Supraglottic Swallow in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Supraglottic vs. Super Supraglottic Swallow
What is Supraglottic Swallow?
Supraglottic swallow is a swallowing method used by people who suffer from dysphagia to reduce complications while swallowing. In this technique, a person is instructed to cough at the end of a swallow to prevent any swallowed food or liquid from going down the airway. This technique is especially useful for people who have undergone a supraglottic laryngectomy. This is because, in supraglottic laryngectomy, the upper part of the larynx of the patient has been removed. Therefore, the larynx can no longer help to shield or divert swallowed material. For each and every swallow, the person is instructed to do as follows in this method,
- Sit or stand comfortably,
- Take a deep breath and hold it,
- Put a small bite of food or a sip of liquid into the mouth,
- Swallow while holding the breath,
- Cough gently right after the swallow, and
- Repeat these steps as many times as directed.
What is Super Supraglottic Swallow?
Super supraglottic swallow is a swallowing method used by people who suffer from swallowing disorders such as dysphagia. In this technique, a person is instructed to implement an effortful breath hold before a swallow to prevent any swallowed food or liquid from entering the airway. This type of swallowing method improves the functioning of anatomic structures that play a role in swallowing. This technique especially improves airway protection for swallowing.
For each and every swallow, a person is instructed to do as follows in this method:
- Sit or stand conformably,
- Take a deep breath and hold it while “bearing down” (like usually having a bowel movement),
- Put a small bite of food or a sip of liquid into the mouth,
- Swallow hard while holding your breath,
- Cough gently right after swallowing, and
- Repeat these steps as many times as directed.
What are the Similarities Between Supraglottic and Super Supraglottic Swallow?
- Supraglottic and super supraglottic are two methods to help people safely swallow food and liquid.
- Both methods are used in situations like reduced airway closure.
- They are easy to follow.
- When both of these methods are utilized in stroke patients, it can lead to temporary arrhythmias during a treatment session, which typically subsides within minutes after the session ends; therefore, caution should be exercised when using them in individuals with concurrent heart disease.
What is the Difference Between Supraglottic and Super Supraglottic Swallow?
Supraglottic swallow is a swallowing method in which a person is instructed to cough right at the end of a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from entering the airway. At the same time, super-supraglottic is a swallowing method in which a person is instructed to implement an effortful breath hold before a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from entering the airway. Thus, this is the key difference between supraglottic and super supraglottic swallow. Furthermore, a supraglottic swallow is a more common swallowing method than a super supraglottic swallow.
The infographic below presents the differences between supraglottic and super supraglottic swallows in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Supraglottic vs. Super Supraglottic Swallow
Dysphagia is a medical condition that causes swallowing difficulties. Supraglottic swallow and super supraglottic swallow are two methods to help people swallow food and liquid safely in dysphagia. Supraglottic swallow involves coughing right at the end of a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from entering the airway. On the other hand, a super supraglottic swallow involves an effortful breath hold before a swallow to help prevent any swallowed food or liquid from going down into the airway. So, this summarizes the difference between supraglottic and super supraglottic swallow.
Reference:
1. Vose, Alicia, et al. “Dysphagia Management in Acute and Sub-Acute Stroke.” Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports.
2. “Swallowing: Exercises.” Kaiser Permanente.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Diagram showing the position of the stoma after a laryngectomy CRUK 361” By Cancer Research UK – Original email from CRUK (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia