Did you know that speech therapists in New Jersey help with more than speech? While the most common activities that a speech therapist usually performs include helping people speak more clearly, most speech-language pathologists (the fancy name for speech therapists!) are also familiar with other mouth-, tongue-, and throat-related issues. Keep reading to see what else a speech therapist can do for you!
Speech Therapists in NJ Help You Swallow Safely
One of the ways a speech therapist in New Jersey can help improve your life is to help you swallow safely. This is vital for those with head or neck cancers, as well as those with muscular diseases that can affect the throat. Your speech therapist can help you find ways to eat and drink safely, to improve muscle tone in the tongue and throat, and devise tools to swallow so you can enjoy the foods you love and regain strength.
Saliva Management Tips From Speech Therapists
For many people who have experienced injury, stroke, or progressive illness, saliva is a problem. Often referred to as “drool” when it comes out of your mouth unexpectedly, your saliva serves a very important purpose inside of your mouth and throat, protecting your teeth and making swallowing possible. If that saliva is escaping, it can create dryness issues on the inside, and embarrassing wetness on the outside. A speech therapist may be a part of your recovery team to manage saliva effectively.
Speech Language Pathologists and Feeding/Eating Disorders
Skilled speech-language pathologists work with some unusual cases, including atypical eating disorders. Whether an individual is refusing food due to sensory/texture issues, afraid to eat or drink for fear of choking, or is experiencing complications alongside anorexia or bulimia nervosa, a speech therapist can help with the physical act of swallowing.
If you have problems with your speech, swallowing, eating, or other mouth- and throat-related issues, a speech therapist can be an important part of your recovery. Talk with your primary care team about the benefits you can get from working with a speech therapist, and start in-home speech therapy from NJ’s best in-home rehab professionals today.