Risk Factors For Aspiration Pneumonia

Suffering A Stroke

Aspiration and aspiration pneumonia are two of the most feared, and most common, complications of having a stroke. This is due to the swallowing problems developed by many individuals after suffering a stroke. Forty percent of patients who have a stroke will have a problem swallowing after.

A stroke often affects the areas of the brain that coordinate muscles and sphincters to help individuals swallow food and drink. After these areas are disabled, patients may inhale instead of swallowing because there is no coordination of movement. Stroke patients also have a higher risk of dying from pneumonia, so this issue is taken seriously. Many hospitals now evaluate everyone who has had a stroke for swallowing problems so their swallowing problems can be treated before aspiration pneumonia sets in.