14 hours Ago By Katrina Turrill
THERE are a number of simple checks you can carry out yourself at home to give you a better insight into your overall health. There's feeling for lumps and bumps, observing changes in moles on your skin, and a straight forward finger test could reveal a potential sign of lung cancer. 2 Dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, can be a sign of a number of serious conditions Credit: Getty But have you heard of the swallow test? According to scientists, there's a certain number of times a healthy person should be able to swallow within 30 seconds.
Those who fail to reach the number could be presenting signs of a deadly condition. Struggling to swallow could mean you have dysphagia . Read more on cancer tests LIFE SAVER New breath test that detects three types of cancers to be trialled across UK BLOODY MIRACLE Simple blood test that detects dozens of types of cancer set for NHS rollout While the condition is usually caused by certain medications and acid reflux, it can be a sign of cancer, serious lung disease, dementia or a stroke.
A technique many health professionals use to establish if someone has dysphagia is called the Repetitive Saliva Swallow Test. The simple test can be performed at home and sees a patient attempt to swallow as many times as possible in half a minute, without consuming any food or drink. In a study published in 2024, Israeli medics established the number of swallows healthy people of different age groups should be able to achieve.
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What are the signs and symptoms of oesophageal cancer? People in their 60s should be able to achieve just under seven swallows (6.7), and those in their 70s should be able to complete six. Finally, those in their 80s should be able to do just over four swallows (4.
3). Someone who isn't able to reach the relevant healthy swallowing goal for their age group can be flagged for further investigation to explore the cause of dysphagia. Writing in the journal Dysphagia , the researchers said their study was important as it displayed a much higher range of what should be considered healthy compared to previous studies.
The baseline previously established for the Repetitive Saliva Swallow Test had been set as three for all adults. They wrote: "This finding reinforces the necessity for a more comprehensive exploration of the validity of the established cutoff values within the oldest old age group." 2 The test scores for different age groups Credit: SprInger Nature The researchers noted the variation in test scores for different ages could be due to the physiological changes that occur in the throat muscles as people grow older.
Differences were also seen between men and women - men achieved more swallows than women. This factor could also impact test results, the researchers said, although added further research is needed to look at the sex-based difference. Dysphagia can be a symptom of various cancers, particularly those affecting the head and neck and upper digestive tract, including cancers of the oesophagus , throat, mouth , larynx, thyroid, salivary glands, and even some cancers in the stomach or pancreas .
Actor Van Kilmer , who died earlier this week from pneumonia , had a two-year battle with throat cancer. Read more on the Scottish Sun 'GUTTED' Bargain store hailed as 'B&M meets The Range' to close all Scots stores in weeks YOUTH AXE SPFL club to SCRAP their academy setup in shock move The NHS says other common causes os dysphagia include: some medicines, such as antipsychotics having a learning disability a cleft lip and palate in babies heartburn and acid reflux , especially in children or people who have gastro-oesophageal reflux disease problems with your breathing caused by conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) a condition that affects the nervous system or brain, such as cerebral palsy, a stroke, dementia or multiple sclerosis Check if you have dysphagia WHILE some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing, particularly certain foods or drinks, others cannot swallow at all. Signs of dysphagia include: coughing or choking when eating or drinking bringing food back up, sometimes through the nose a feeling that food is stuck in your throat or chest a gurgly, wet-sounding voice when eating or drinking You may also drool and have problems chewing your food.
Over time, dysphagia can cause symptoms such as weight loss, dehydration and repeated chest infections. If you experience symptoms of dysphagia, speak to your GP. Source: NHS.
